ICE Targets Ukrainian Refugees in the U.S. Under Unfulfilled Promise Program

U.S. Immigration Crackdown on Ukrainian Refugees

According to ХВИЛЯ: Ukrainian refugees in the United States, admitted under the humanitarian "Uniting for Ukraine" (U4U) program, are facing a crisis of mass detentions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and severe processing delays for their documents. This is occurring despite many individuals holding valid paperwork. Current estimates place the number of detained Ukrainians between 100 and 300 people. Simultaneously, thousands more have been waiting for months to renew their status, leaving them without work authorization and living in constant fear of arrest. The U4U program, while a lifeline for many, has proven to have significant gaps in protection, leaving beneficiaries vulnerable to enforcement actions.

The U4U program was launched by the Biden administration in April 2022 as a response to the war. According to Forbes, approximately 190,000 Ukrainians have arrived in the U.S. under this initiative. However, the situation has grown precarious for many. For instance, Andriy, who arrived in the U.S. in 2024 under U4U, was detained in November 2025 in Charles Town, West Virginia. His humanitarian parole was valid until February 2026, yet he spent over two months in jail before agreeing to voluntary deportation to Poland in February 2026.

'I showed ICE my documents. I explained I was here under U4U, that it was Ukrainian humanitarian parole. They didn't care. They immediately said I was an illegal,' Andriy stated.

A Sharp Rise in Ukrainian Detentions

The number of detained Ukrainians began climbing sharply in the spring of 2025. Reports from that spring indicated 24 Ukrainians had been detained and deported, a figure that surged to around 100 by September 2025. Immigration attorney Yulia Bikbova, in early 2026, cites numbers as high as 300 detained and 150 deported. Experts warn that at least 200,000 Ukrainians in the U.S. are now in a vulnerable legal position.

Nina, who arrived in New York from Zaporizhzhia in 2023, found herself in this difficult situation. Her humanitarian parole expired in October 2025, and she did not receive a renewal until January 31, 2026.

'My daughter was afraid to go to school. She saw ICE raids in the subway; they were posted near the school. She said when she saw them, she was frozen with icy fear. In Ukraine, she was afraid of shelling-here, she's afraid of being detained. We have nowhere to return. Our home is destroyed,' Nina shared.

Oksana in California also faced severe hardship, waiting seven months-from July 2025 to February 2026-for her parole extension. 'Those were seven months without the right to work, without income, but with monthly expenses and the constant fear of being detained,' she explained. Immigration attorney Kateryna Panova notes the impossible situation: 'People are living for months without work permits. What are they supposed to do-not eat, live on the street? Or work illegally?'

The atmosphere is growing increasingly tense. 'It feels like ICE simply has a quota for detentions and deportations. That's why Ukrainians are in jails. They shouldn't be there-but they are,' asserts Kateryna Panova. There is at least one known case of a Ukrainian citizen dying in an ICE detention facility in Miami. A WhatsApp group named "Ukrainians in Detention" now has over 300 members discussing their struggles.

This treatment has sparked outrage within the Ukrainian immigrant community. 'They are chasing us out of here like dogs-even though they essentially invited us themselves. It's a profound injustice,' says Maria. Many Ukrainians in the U.S. are now hoping for a change in their circumstances and for more humane treatment from immigration authorities.

The plight of Ukrainian immigrants underscores the complex and often fraught relationship between U.S. immigration enforcement and those seeking refuge from war. The U4U program, designed to offer help, has left critical vulnerabilities unaddressed, jeopardizing the safety and stability of thousands. The rising detention and deportation figures are causing deep concern among Ukrainian communities and human rights advocates, who are calling for a urgent review of U.S. immigration policy as it applies to wartime refugees.