A petition is calling on the administration to immediately grant Ukraine and its refugees Temporary Protected Status.
“While the March 3 statement from DHS/USCIS granted Ukrainian nationals in the United States TPS status, over 2.7 million people have had to abandon their homes and their country fleeing Russia’s invasion,” the petition states. “Given our commitment to protect Ukraine under the Budapest accords, we have a MINIMUM obligation to assist those fleeing the destruction of their nation. Organizations across the United States stand ready with housing, assistance, and resources to absorb these war torn victims of war.”
“Ukraine is in a fight for its sovereignty, its culture, and its existence. Ukrainians fleeing look only to protect their children to some day return to their country and rebuild. The U.S. must assist with one of the largest displaced persons crisis since World War II.”
The petition notes that TPS is granted for the following reasons, “of which Ukraine qualifies for all”:
- An ongoing armed conflict, such as a civil war, that poses a serious threat to the personal safety of returning nationals;
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, beginning the largest conventional military attack since WWII. Since then over 15,000 have been killed, nearly 2000 injured, over $1.9 billion in infrastructure has been destroyed, and 2.8 million have fled.
- Extraordinary and temporary conditions in the foreign state that prevent its nationals from returning to the state in safety (unless the U.S. government finds that permitting these nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to the U.S. national interest).
“Russia continues its advance, bombing schools, residential areas, hospitals and nuclear facilities. These circumstances warrant TPS status NOW,” the petition states.
“We urge the United States to move swiftly to grant Ukraine and its refugees TPS status and provide shelter to the millions who trusted and supported our non nuclear proliferation efforts.”
