As the full-scale war in Ukraine enters its fifth year, tens of millions of Ukrainians have been displaced from their homes. Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians fled to the United States between 2022 and 2025. Many more were already living in the U.S. as students, visitors, or temporary workers and weren’t able to return to Ukraine.
While the United States has offered critical short-term protections to Ukrainians who sought refuge here, some of these protections have expired or are set to expire soon. Unfortunately, the majority of Ukrainians who are here temporarily do not have access to long-term immigration statuses that would allow them to permanently resettle in the U.S.
As a result, many Ukrainians are living in limbo, uncertain as to how much longer they can stay here and not knowing where else they can go now. Those who return to Ukraine face the dangers of war and lack of infrastructure. Those who stay in the U.S. face the dangers of losing work and housing. Some risk being detained or deported due to lack of valid documents that are taking too long to be renewed, despite paying hefty application fees. Even Ukrainians with valid statuses and paperwork have been detained by immigration enforcement while going about their work or attending routine immigration interviews.
Congress and the Executive Branch have the means by which to extend protections for Ukrainians that would allow them to stay and work here lawfully. Moreover, Americans overwhelmingly support helping vulnerable Ukrainians remain in the U.S., either temporarily or permanently. However, current immigration policies have suspended or failed to introduce lifesaving short-term programs and access to long-term pathways for Ukrainians.
What can advocates do to help struggling Ukrainians find stability? They can learn about the most pressing immigration challenges facing hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians in the United States. Next, they can educate Members of Congress, the media, and the general public on the drastic reduction of immigration pathways and the impending loss of temporary protections available to Ukrainians.
Read and share the below report summarizing the current issues and proposed solutions to help Ukrainians who cannot return home remain in the U.S. safely.
You can also view our current immigration advocacy priorities for Ukrainians here: