Under mounting pressure to step up their efforts, Biden administration officials are considering a range of options, including a fast track for those fleeing the Russian invasion, as well as a special US humanitarian admission process. a source familiar with the discussions. The proposals could potentially help hundreds of Ukrainians fleeing the violence.
More than 3 million refugees have fled war-torn Ukraine for neighboring countries in a matter of weeks, sparking calls for more countries, the US in particular, to take in the refugees. Last week, Polish President Andrzej Duda personally asked Vice President Kamala Harris to speed up and simplify procedures to allow Ukrainians with families in the US to come to the country.
For Biden, admitting Ukrainian refugees to the United States would also help advance the message of Western unity in the face of Russian aggression, one official said. The President told his team that the United States must be ready to contribute, even though the details of how to do so have not yet been finalized.
While they are working to find ways to help Ukrainians, White House officials monitoring the refugee situation said they believe the crisis is still in its early stages and could expand significantly in the coming weeks or months. Some fear that Poland, along with the region’s poorer countries, will not be able to handle a steady stream of migrants that could last for months, officials said.
This has added to the spiciness of US aid discussions as Biden aides work to develop options that could ease the burden on Ukraine’s neighbors.
However, it is unlikely that the flow of Ukrainian refugees to the US will be the same as last year’s Afghans, given that some of them are expected to remain in Europe due to ties there. But the need for assistance to the countries of the region hosting these refugees is growing.
During meetings in Warsaw, Duda warned Harris that his country’s resources were severely depleted by the influx of refugees, although his country welcomed them with open arms. Harris received a similar message the next day in Romania, where thousands of refugees had fled.
Harris has made it clear in the meetings that the US is ready to offer more financial assistance to these countries to deal with new refugee flows. But White House officials also believe that there will be increased pressure from the international community and Congress to take in more refugees in the United States, given that it is much wealthier than Eastern European countries facing an influx of refugees.
“They have no way to get here”
Opportunities are currently limited for those interested in family reunification in the US, prompting desperate requests from Ukrainian Americans to host their relatives.
For example, the process of resettling refugees in the US can take years. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman acknowledged the process is long and difficult in an interview with CNN on Tuesday, adding: “We have always welcomed refugees, even if it sometimes takes time to get here.” Sherman said the administration is evaluating ways forward on a daily basis.
At least 690 Ukrainian refugees have been admitted to the United States since October, according to the State Department. Ukrainian refugees previously benefited from the Lautenberg Amendment, adopted in 1989 to protect those fleeing religious persecution from the former Soviet Union. This option remains open but is unlikely to meet new urgent demand.
There are ways to shorten the process under discussion, such as a priority designation that bypasses referral from the UN refugee agency to provide direct access to the US refugee admissions program. There is also a form of parole that allows people fleeing urgent humanitarian crises to enter the United States. Both of these methods have been used in the past during conflicts, including after evacuations from Afghanistan.
Refugee advocates, meanwhile, are preparing for the arrival of Ukrainians.
“We know they need to be brought here,” said Mark Hatfield, president of HIAS, a refugee resettlement organization, adding that it might be easier to resettle in these cases given that there are relatives in the US who can step in to help.
But Hatfield warned that Ukrainians should come to the US with legal status, or be given a path to that status, to avoid being in legal limbo, as was the case with the Afghans.
People in the United States who have Ukrainian relatives have exhausted many opportunities to bring their families to the country, but have failed in some cases due to strict visa regulations.
Ashley Testa and her husband Misha Grib spent five days in Jacksonville, Florida trying to help their relatives in Ukraine get to the Polish border for safety. Now the hurdle they face is bringing these family members to the US.
“They have no way to get here,” Testa said. “The only way out is to hope that the US government will start accepting Ukrainian refugees.”
This week, the Ukrainian-American family joined Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi of New York in urging the administration to make an exception for Ukrainians who are trying to come to the US on tourist visas to connect with family.
But in order to obtain a tourist visa, Ukrainians must apply, make an appointment at US consulates, and prove that they are going to the US for a short stay, a requirement established by law. This has prevented some Ukrainians from traveling to the US due to uncertain circumstances in their country, including family relatives who joined Suozzi on Monday.
While it’s unclear what forms of assistance the administration will eventually provide to people wishing to enter the United States, officials are also monitoring a potential surge of Ukrainians and Russians who could travel to the US, including on the southwestern border, the Department of Homeland Security said. The official told CNN.
Ukrainian and Russian families have already begun lining up at a checkpoint on the California-Mexico border, local attorneys and advocates say. One family that turned away last week was finally let in.
The Biden administration has also taken some steps to reach out to Ukrainians in the US and those who potentially want to immigrate to the US, including expanding the humanitarian aid form for Ukrainians already in the United States and expediting visa processing.
The assistance, known as temporary protection status, is extended to people who will face extreme hardship if forced to return to their homelands devastated by armed conflict or natural disasters. Thus, protection is limited to people already in the US.
CNN reported earlier this month that an estimated 75,100 people are eligible to apply for TPS on behalf of Ukraine.