Paying with people’s lives: Ukrainian refugees in Chicago face uncertainty about their future

Uncertainty looms for Ukrainian refugees in Chicago

Former Homeland Security Director Alejandro Majorkas designated Ukraine for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) back in 2022 and more than a quarter of a million Ukrainian refugees came to the United States. Now, they are worried about their future.

A life under constant threat

For 20 days, Ukrainian refugee Angela Savenko and her young boys lived in an underground bunker in Kyiv.

“The missiles came every night, so you have only two minutes just to grab your kids and go to bomb shelter,” Savenko said.

Settling in Chicago, but with uncertainty

Savenko is one of 50,000 refugees from Ukraine who have settled in the Chicago area, either under temporary protected status or on humanitarian parole, since the war began.

Fear of the unknown

“I don’t want to watch the news, I dread watching the news in the morning. It’s because of not knowing what could happen, what could be the announcement,” Self Reliance Association Program Director Olena Levko-Sandeha said.

Risk of deportation

According to Routers, on Thursday, a senior Trump official reported that the president was potentially planning to revoke temporary legal status for 240,000 Ukrainian refugees, meaning they could face deportation as soon as April.

The rollback of protections is part of a broader effort to strip nearly two million migrants of their legal status under former President Biden’s humanitarian parole programs.

A future in limbo

Ukrainian refugees had hoped this month to file for an extension that would allow them to stay in the US until at least October of 2026.

“It’s not only playing with people’s emotions, it’s playing with people’s lives, because the war is still going on,” Levko-Sandeha said.

Government response

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt fired back, saying no decision has been made at this time, and the head of the Department of Homeland Security said there were no new announcements.

Uncertainty and fear

Refugees who have made Chicago their home, say they are not ready to go back.

“It’s kind of feeling when the war started, you just, ‘Okay’ what should I do, what the next step? Where are my safe place?’ And this is a very similar feeling like, ‘Okay, what? What’s next?'” Savenko said.

A global crisis

Currently, there are more than 5 million Ukrainian refugees living outside the country, most receiving protection in Europe.

Conclusion

The lives of over 240,000 Ukrainian refugees in the United States are being played with, leaving them with uncertainty and fear about their future. As the war in Ukraine continues, it is imperative that their protection is ensured, and their lives are not put at risk of being uprooted once again.

FAQs

* What is Temporary Protected Status (TPS)? TPS is a program that allows certain foreign nationals who are temporarily unable to return to their home country due to a foreign civil war, epidemic, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions.
* What is the current situation for Ukrainian refugees in the US? Over 50,000 Ukrainian refugees have settled in the Chicago area, either under TPS or on humanitarian parole, since the war began.
* What is the proposed change to TPS? The US government is considering revoking temporary legal status for 240,000 Ukrainian refugees, potentially leading to their deportation as soon as April.