Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas announced Thursday that the United States will grant temporary protected status to Ukrainian citizens in the country amid Russia’s invasion.
In a video posted to Twitter announcing the decision, Mayorkas asserted that the U.S. supports Ukraine and condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions.
“We at the Department of Homeland Security are acting in support of them, not just in support of the Ukrainian people in Ukraine but also those here present in the United States,” he said.
“I’m proud to announce that we will be providing temporary protected status, TPS, to those Ukrainian nationals who are present in the United States as of March 1 of this year. Our relief [and] our hearts are with them, and we will do everything in our power to support them.”
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Mayorkas alerted Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of the decision shortly before the announcement, a source familiar with the conversation told the Washington Examiner.
“Ukrainians around the world are experiencing the fear and uncertainty caused by President Putin’s premeditated and unprovoked invasion of their country,” Schumer said in a statement.
“I’ve been pushing the Biden administration to help Ukrainian nationals in the United States, and now President Biden is taking action to designate Ukraine for temporary protected status,” he added. “I applaud President Biden for taking decisive action so that Ukrainians can stay safely in America. The United States stands with the people of Ukraine.”
The decision to grant TPS comes as Russia continues its invasion of the country despite NATO members’ calls for Putin to withdraw his troops.
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A growing number of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have called for the U.S. to provide a temporarily shield for Ukrainians from deportation due to the dangerous conditions in their country, with Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin leading the efforts on a bipartisan letter to President Joe Biden calling for TPS to be provided.
Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said Wednesday that more than 2,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed since Russia launched the invasion.
