Understanding the Ukrainian Refugee Crisis

The Russian invasion of Ukraine have sent nearly 4 million people fleeing their homeland in search of safety, which has quickly become the largest displacement crisis of the century.  In response to this crisis the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the designation of Ukraine for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months.  To be eligible for TPS, a Ukrainian national must have continuously resided in the United States since March 1, 2022.  Individuals admitted to the US after March 1, 2022 are currently ineligible for this status.  We continue to see families and individuals arriving to the United States on a variety of visas which allow them only temporary stay in the United States with little access to support services.  Currently, families fleeing the current crisis in Ukraine have not been through the proper vetting channels to be admitted to the United States as refugees.  The word refugee is often attributed to those fleeing war and violence.  However, in the United States and abroad, to be given the legal status of a refugee, an individual must go through processing with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).  Once a refugee has been given refugee status, they may then have their case forwarded to an Overseas Processing Entity (OPE) to begin the process for resettlement in a third county.  Currently, this process can take 1.5-2 years to complete.  While the Biden Administration is considering options to expedite this process, there hasn’t yet been an indication of an immediate large scale influx in refugee arrivals to the US.  Currently, the most expedient measure for bringing Ukrainian families to the United States is through the Lautenberg Amendment, which is a family reunification program that allows certain individuals legally residing in the United States to bring their family members to the United States.  To access the program, eligible individuals must apply through resettlement agencies in their local community.