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The Biden administration on Thursday announced plans to speed up the arrival of Ukrainian refugees, create a new system that would allow ordinary citizens and organizations like churches to sponsor them, and warn that Ukrainians attempting to cross through Mexico could arrive, entry will be denied from next week.
The announcement comes as more than 5 million people, more than 10 percent of Ukraine’s population, have fled to Poland, Romania and other neighboring countries, fueling calls for the Biden administration to let more into the United States. The government is also keen to control the rapidly growing number of refugees from Ukraine and Latin America who are turning up unannounced at the Mexican border and seeking to enter the United States.
President Biden pledged to take in up to 100,000 Ukrainians a month ago, but the administration has so far not provided clear guidance on the process. About 15,000 Ukrainians, left to their own devices, have mostly arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border in the past three months, senior administration officials said in a conference call with reporters on Thursday, who spoke on condition of anonymity about the new program to discuss.
The State Department and Department of Homeland Security said they are creating a new “streamlined” program called Uniting for Ukraine that will grant most refugees “humanitarian parole.” come to the United States for up to two years as long as they have a sponsor willing to support them in the country. Officials also plan to expand permanent legal avenues under the existing refugee program.
“The United States strongly encourages Ukrainians seeking refuge in the United States who do not have visas and are not eligible to apply for entry through Uniting for Ukraine from European States,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a document released Thursday and warned that anyone arriving at the country’s ports or borders without a valid visa would be “denied entry”.
“We are proud to honor President Biden’s commitment to welcome 100,000 Ukrainians and others fleeing Russian aggression to the United States,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement. “DHS will continue to provide assistance to the Ukrainian people while also supporting our European allies who have endured so much as a result of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine.”
Border numbers rise in March, with a notable surge in Ukrainians
Officials at the Department of Homeland Security and State Department said they want to take refugees primarily on “humanitarian parole,” which would allow them to live and work in the United States for up to two years.
Ukrainians cannot apply for the program. Instead, starting Monday, “US-based individuals and organizations,” such as churches, can apply online to the DHS to sponsor Ukrainian citizens.
Ukrainians must have been residents of Ukraine since February 11, just before the February 24 invasion. You must also have a sponsor in the United States, including “any US citizen or individual, including representatives of non-governmental organizations.” The sponsors are asked to pass background checks to prevent exploitation and state that they will support the refugees financially.
Refugees must also undergo required vaccinations and clear background checks to enter the United States, and officials said they are working with countries in Europe to ensure Ukrainians have access to vaccines.
Once approved, Ukrainians will be permitted to travel to the United States, be considered for parole on a case-by-case basis and apply for work permits, officials said.
Officials said organizations like Welcome.US, a refugee assistance initiative led by former Presidents Barack Obama (D) and George W. Bush (R), along with a number of Ukrainian-American citizens and churches are helping with the effort intended groups and ordinary citizens.
Most refugees are expected to have families in the United States, officials said. More than 1 million people of Ukrainian descent live in the United States, mostly US-born citizens, as well as 355,000 immigrants. According to the Census Bureau, a significant number live in New York, California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Florida, Washington state and Illinois. Some came before the Soviet Union was dissolved in 1991, and others after Ukraine voted for independence that year.
There are new migrants at the US-Mexico border: Ukrainian refugees
While officials expect most Ukrainians to enter the United States on parole on humanitarian grounds, they said they are also expanding efforts to create durable pathways, including for “vulnerable populations” such as women and girls, children and the elderly with special needs.
For example, the State Department will expand access to the U.S. refugee reception program’s traditional operations in Europe “where possible,” to offer Ukrainians more appointments for visa processing and to give priority access to people with “humanitarian, medical, or other exceptional circumstances.” ”
They are also expanding processing of refugee resettlement under the Lautenberg program, a way for historically persecuted religious groups from Ukraine and other former Soviet republics to reunite with relatives in the United States. About 18,000 people took part in that program in Ukraine, and officials said Thursday they are working to identify those who have fled so they can come to the United States.
The new plans come as the war in Ukraine nears the two-month mark and the United States grapples with a rising number of migrants from Latin America at the US-Mexico border. Mayorkas and Secretary of State Antony Blinken attended a migration summit in Panama this week to address border influx, which is expected to increase even further after May 23, when a health regulation known as Title 42, which allows border officials to expel migrants, is enacted to expire .
But lawmakers and advocacy groups have also pressured the Biden administration to expand access to Ukrainian refugees amid appalling reports of destruction and death in their country. The United States said it had provided nearly $300 million in humanitarian assistance, such as food and shelter, to displaced Ukrainians and was ready to provide more than $1 billion.
The Biden administration has already granted temporary protection from deportation to an estimated 59,600 Ukrainian noncitizens already living in the United States, but they must have been living here since April 11.