Trump Administration to Deport 80 Ukrainians to War Zone: What We Know

The Trump administration is preparing to deport Ukrainians from the U.S. According to the Washington Post, the U.S. government plans to send approximately 80 Ukrainians to Ukraine, which as we all know, is in a state of war, as early as next Monday. The Department of Justice confirmed these plans in court documents, stating that Ukrainians may be expelled either to Ukraine or Poland via military flights.

The Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. confirmed that the consulate is aware of these citizens who received final deportation decisions due to violations of the country's laws.

Risks for Deported Ukrainians

Advocates warn that deported Ukrainians face serious danger. Ukraine is currently in a war zone, and their possible conscription into the army and deployment to the front lines, where the threat to life is extremely high, was noted by lawyers Eric Li and Chris Godshall-Bennett.

According to ICE, in the current fiscal year, the U.S. has already deported only 53 Ukrainians, however, if all 80 individuals are deported, it will become a record number in recent years.

Stories of Deported Ukrainians

Among those slated for deportation is Roman Surovtev, who owns a business in Dallas and is a father of two children. Also awaiting deportation is Andriy Berik, who came to the U.S. as a Jewish refugee at the age of 13. Both have expressed their condemnation of this situation.

'I may deserve deportation, but not to a war zone - not to a place where conflict is ongoing'

The Ukrainian ambassador called the deportation procedure a widely used legal mechanism. A representative from the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that all detainees receive due legal process, however, did not confirm future actions regarding the deportation.

The Trump administration is actively preparing to deport Ukrainians from the U.S., which may put them in a very difficult and dangerous situation due to the war in Donbas and the threat of conscription into the Ukrainian army. During the current pandemic and economic instability, it is hard to imagine how these individuals will adapt in their home country after such a decision by the U.S. government.