The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has suspended the United for Ukraine (U4U) program following a new executive order on border protection.
This confirmation follows the Department of Homeland Security’s recent announcement on 24 January that it has suspended multiple immigration programs providing temporary residence in the United States. This decision reportedly will block entry for immigrants from some of the world’s most unstable regions, including Cuba, Haiti, and Venezuela.
While Voice of America initially reported, citing Pentagon information, that this would not apply to Ukraine, the media outlet confirmed on 28 January, citing the service, that the suspension also applies to the program for Ukraine.
“Due to the 20 January 2025 executive order ‘Protecting Our Borders,’ USCIS is suspending the acceptance of Form I-134A, Online Request to be a Supporter and Declaration of Financial Support,” the agency announced.
President Trump signed the Protecting Our Borders executive order on 20 January, arguing that many of these programs were “never lawful.”
The order directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to adjust asylum programs and stop programs that conflict with US policy.
The Washington State Ukrainian Christian Churches Council appealed to President Trump to maintain refugee programs for Ukrainians.
“The United for Ukraine (U4U) program and Temporary Protective Status (TPS) remain critically necessary for Ukrainian families, given the ongoing genocide of Ukrainians by Russian forces,” the Council stated.
The U4U program brought over 118,000 Ukrainians to the US as of March 2023. An additional 25,000 Ukrainians entered the US through the Mexican border in early 2022 after Russia’s invasion.
Voice of America reports current US immigration numbers exceed the immigration boom of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
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