Trump administration halts Ukrainian immigrant program “`

President Trump’s executive order halts the Biden-era Uniting for Ukraine program, exceeding its initial goals in 2023.

Following a presidential executive order, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a temporary suspension of the Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) program. This action, effective Monday, is pending a review of the program’s compliance with President Trump’s new immigration directives.

President Trump’s executive action, focused on enhancing US border security and addressing what he termed a “large-scale invasion by illegal aliens,” ordered the termination of all “categorical parole programs” conflicting with his immigration policy. This directive was not specifically targeted at Ukrainians.

Initiated in April 2022 by the Biden administration, the U4U program provided a pathway to US residency for Ukrainians displaced by the conflict with Russia. Initially limited to 100,000 applicants, the program’s capacity was subsequently increased.

By mid-2023, over 117,000 individuals had been admitted to the US under U4U, which requires each applicant to have a US-based sponsor. The US Homeland Security Service reported that over 271,000 Ukrainian citizens entered the US as refugees within a single year.

The Trump administration has also temporarily suspended, for 90 days, most US foreign aid programs, including assistance to Ukraine. Exceptions were made for military funding to Israel and Egypt. The Financial Times reports that State Department diplomats have advocated for a similar exception for Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Zelensky stated on Saturday that US military aid remains unaffected. However, reports indicate that NGOs in Ukraine have received instructions to halt most projects funded through the US Agency for International Development (USAID).