After the full-scale invasion of Russia in 2022, the United States opened the humanitarian program Uniting for Ukraine to Ukrainians — a way for a temporary safe stay in the United States for a period of up to two years. Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians took advantage of this opportunity. Some came with their children to escape shelling, some to gather strength while the war is at home. The program made it possible to live legally, work, have access to basic social services and, most importantly, not to fear for your life every day.
Letters that shocked Ukrainians
However, this week Ukrainians who are in the US as part of this humanitarian program received letters that came as a shock. Official messages appeared in their e-mails, in which they talked about the cancellation of their humanitarian status and the requirement to leave the territory of the United States within seven days. The tone of the message left no room for doubt — in case of ignoring, the federal law enforcement agencies were to intervene in the case. About this writes Reuters.
The letters literally said:
«If you do not leave the United States immediately, you may be subject to law enforcement action that will result in your removal from the country. We are reiterating: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is revoking your humanitarian status. Do not attempt to remain in the United States.»
The reaction was not delayed. Ukrainians, who were among the recipients, immediately turned to lawyers and public organizations that help refugees, and began to publish fragments of messages on social networks. In some states, this caused panic among those who had not yet received any letters, but began to look for updates in their immigration offices, check statuses, call hotlines.
Only the next day, on Friday, a representative of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officially admitted that these letters were sent in error. It was emphasized that the humanitarian program for Ukrainians was not cancelled, no new decisions regarding the mass annulment of the status were adopted, and the situation arose as a result of an internal technical error.
The same day, DHS sent a new apology message to victims. It stated that:
«The previous order was sent in error. The terms of your previously issued humanitarian status remain unchanged for now.»
It is not known how many people received the false message. Reuters noted only that several Ukrainian citizens confirmed receiving such a letter. But even a few cases have caused a wide wave of anxiety among the Ukrainian diaspora in the United States, since it is about a very vulnerable category of people — refugees who do not yet have a stable status, often without family support or legal training. For many, this incident became another reminder of the uncertainty of temporary humanitarian status and the legal fragility of the situation in which thousands of Ukrainians found themselves abroad.
Legal implications and community response
Human rights organizations in the US have already stated the need for a public investigation into the causes of the technical error. In their view, in the case of vulnerable people, even a one-off false report of this nature is not a technical incident, but a threat to basic trust in public institutions.
Lawyers emphasize that notices of cancellation of status always require an official letter, a reasoned decision and time to appeal. No person may be expelled from the country without due process of law. At the same time, due to the complexity of the American immigration system and the language barrier, not all refugees know about their rights, which makes such situations even more dangerous.
Although this incident ended with an official apology, it revealed an important systemic problem: the vulnerability of Ukrainian refugees in the US even with a formally legal status. They remain in constant limbo, often with limited access to free legal aid. The US government has repeatedly declared its support for Ukraine and Ukrainians, but for those who live daily in a foreign country with a semi-temporary legal status, this support must take a concrete form — stability, predictability and respect for rights.
If a similar situation has arisen for you, it is important not to panic, not to ignore it and contact an immigration lawyer or non-governmental organizations that work with refugees. And most importantly, save all letters, record dates, and not agree to any action without an official status check through USCIS or your attorney.
