Ukrainians legally in the U.S. were told in an email mistakenly sent Friday by the Department of Homeland Security that their parole status had been withdrawn and that they had to self-deport, according to Politico.
The email, sent to an unidentified number of people, prompted widespread fear among those who came to the U.S. to flee the full-scale Russian invasion that began in February 2022. The refugees have been increasingly concerned about their legal status in the country, as President Donald Trump said last month that they could revoke their residency status.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told the outlet that the U.S. has not yet revoked the temporary parole status handed to the 240,000 Ukrainians who came to the U.S., fleeing the war under former President Joe Biden.
A reversal, which has been indicated by the White House, could lead to the quick deportation of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians.
The email was initially reported by Migrant Insider.
The message prompted confusion as lawmakers began receiving calls from constituents regarding the emails.
Many Ukrainians are already preparing for the possibility of a reversal as the Trump administration expands its effort to remove legal status from almost two million people who were allowed to stay in the U.S. under temporary humanitarian parole programs during the Biden administration.
Trump has ordered the revocation of the parole status of around 530,000 Venezuelans, Cubans, and Haitians. He said last month that he was considering taking the same action regarding the Ukrainians.
“We’re not looking to hurt anybody, we’re certainly not looking to hurt them, and I’m looking at that,” Trump said last month as he was asked about revoking the legal status of the Ukrainians. “There were some people that think that’s appropriate, and some people don’t, and I’ll be making the decision pretty soon.”
The spokesperson for DHS didn’t indicate if a final decision had been made or when the emails were meant to go out.
Trump told DHS officials on his first day back in the White House to “terminate all categorical parole programs” — just one of many executive orders related to immigration.
The president also halted admissions under the programs for Ukrainians just after taking office in January, blocking those who had already arrived in the U.S. from renewing their two-year protections and work permits. He also put an end to new admissions.