A Ukrainian refugee has urged President Donald Trump to support Ukrainians living in the U.S. under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) by offering them a path to permanent residency.
“Please, don’t stop [supporting] us right now. If you can make some clearance—in this case, maybe you can give us, like, a green card after some time, for people who live there, for people who pay taxes and [are] doing something right here,” Serhii Denisov told Newsweek.
Why It Matters
On Thursday, Reuters reported that the Trump administration intended to revoke the temporary legal status for 240,000 Ukrainians who fled Russia’s war in Ukraine. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the report as “fake news,” saying, “No decision has been made at this time.”
Trump later said he would soon decide whether to revoke the temporary legal status of Ukrainians who fled to the U.S. during the war.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
What To Know
A green card grants permanent residency in the U.S., allowing individuals to live and work there indefinitely. It can be obtained through family sponsorship, employment, investment, the diversity lottery, or refugee or asylee status. Green card holders have travel privileges and access to benefits but cannot vote, and they must maintain residency. A green card is valid for 10 years and can lead to U.S. citizenship after 3 to 5 years.
Denisov, who lives in Miami, has been in the United States since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
“We’re trying to find a new life here. We’re trying to live our life, and right now, we just need to have a clearance in this country to understand what we’re going to do,” he said.
“Will we be deported … or we can just stay here and live our whole life and, in the future, become American citizens?” Denisov continued.
He said he did not fear deportation because of his legal status under TPS, although he echoed the anxieties of many others who live in limbo.
“We were invited,” he said, adding that many Ukrainians had no hope of returning home.
“It’s not guaranteed that we can go home because a lot of people right now from Ukraine don’t have even a hope,” he said.
Denisov also voiced his frustrations about the political landscape amid heightened tensions between Ukraine and the U.S. following the tense Oval Office meeting between Trump, U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
In the February 28 meeting, Trump and Vance criticized Zelensky, accusing him of being ungrateful for U.S. aid. The meeting, widely perceived as a diplomatic misstep, heightened concerns about the U.S.’s commitment to supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression.
Denisov described the meeting as a “planned attack,” adding that the Republican leaders behaved in an “impolite” manner.
Shortly after, the U.S. abruptly halted all military aid to Ukraine, sending shock waves through the international community and raising fears of increased Ukrainian vulnerability to Russian forces. The decision drew swift backlash from U.S. allies and lawmakers, who warned it could embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin.
This potential rollback of Joe Biden-era humanitarian parole programs, which granted temporary legal status to thousands of Ukrainians, is yet another sign of deteriorating U.S.-Ukraine relations.
Zelensky was in Washington, D.C., to sign a minerals deal that would give the U.S. a 50 percent share of the revenue from Ukraine’s natural resource monetization, including rare earth minerals.
“All minerals and goods belong to the Ukrainian nation and Ukrainian people, so nobody can just go and take it,” Denisov said.
“I believe only Russia and Ukraine can stop this war,” he continued.
Denisov added: “I believe that peace in the world will save us, everybody. And war is not good. We need to invest in future safety, in the future development of humanity, and not in a war.”
Representative Mike Lawler, a Republican from New York, has called on Trump to allow Ukrainian refugees to stay in the U.S. following the reports that they could lose TPS status.
Amnesty International previously told Newsweek that the administration must prioritize safeguarding the human rights of Ukrainians.
Meanwhile, experts told Newsweek that stripping away TPS from thousands of Ukrainians could disrupt the economy.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump said on March 6 regarding whether he would revoke Ukrainians’ temporary legal status: “There were some people that think that’s appropriate, and some people don’t, and I’ll be making a decision pretty soon.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on March 6: “This is more fake news from Reuters based on anonymous sources who have no idea what they are talking about. The truth: no decision has been made at this time.”
Ciro Riccardi, a senior aide to Representative Mike Lawler, previously told Newsweek: “We have not heard from the White House on any changes to the status of Ukrainian refugees in the U.S. and have been in communication with the White House to strongly encourage the administration to prevent any negative changes to their status.”
Julia Gelatt, the associate director of the U.S. program at the Migration Policy Institute, told Newsweek: “We will also have to see whether the Trump administration tries to strip parole for all Ukrainians at once, or whether they issue individual revocations of parole. Either way, it is likely that groups that support Ukrainian immigrants will sue to try to preserve parole protections for Ukrainians.
“Another implication of this move is that employers who rely on Ukrainian workers will have to let those workers go if parole ends. The end of parole would also mean the end of Ukrainians’ work authorization. That could disrupt operations for some employers in certain U.S. communities.”
What Happens Next
As the situation unfolds, many Ukrainians in the U.S. are anxiously awaiting clarity on their status and a potential path forward. The fate of refugees such as Denisov hinges on the decisions made in Washington.
Senior U.S. and Ukrainian officials are set to meet in Saudi Arabia this week to discuss efforts toward a ceasefire in the war with Russia.