The White House has not come to a decision yet regarding the legal status of 240,000 Ukrainian refugees currently living in the United States, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on March 6.
Earlier in the day, Reuters reported that the administration is planning to revoke the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) of these Ukrainians, potentially paving the way for their deportation.
Trump said he had not made a decision on the matter yet, but planned to do so "pretty soon." He also claimed that his administration did not want to hurt refugees from Ukraine.
"We're not looking to hurt anybody and we're certainly not looking to hurt them," Trump said.
"And I'm looking at that, and there were some people that think that's appropriate and some people don't, and I'll be making a decision pretty soon. But we're not looking to hurt them. Especially Ukrainians. They've gone through a lot."
According to four undisclosed sources who spoke to Reuters, the plan to revoke TPS predates Trump's public argument with President Volodymyr Zelensky on Feb. 28 and is part of the administration's broader crackdown on the more than 1.8 million people staying in the U.S. on humanitarian grounds.
Later in the day, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt dismissed the report as "fake news," claiming that no decision had been made.
Trump, who campaigned intensively on promises to deport millions of migrants, began rolling back protections for Ukrainian and other refugees mere days after returning to the White House.
In late January, the administration suspended the Uniting for Ukraine program, which allowed Ukrainians to stay in the U.S. for up to two years. The program also granted refugees the right to work and receive health insurance.
Over 6 million Ukrainian citizens fled their homes in the wake of Russia's all-out invasion in 2022. Around 5.2 million remain abroad, with the vast majority receiving protection in EU countries.
Trump's decision on TPS could affect 240,000 Ukrainian refugees in the U.S.
The administration has come under scrutiny for its treatment of Ukraine, a longstanding ally, in contrast to its increasing warmth towards Russia. In recent days, the White House has frozen all military aid shipments and stopped intelligence sharing with Kyiv.
Zelensky said on March 6 that the U.S. and Ukraine have resumed cooperation and that delegations will meet for talks next week.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
