US lawmakers call to extend immigration protections for Ukrainian refugees as renewal deadline looms
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) was originally granted to Ukrainians in April 2022 following the Russian full-scale invasion.
U.S. lawmakers have introduced legislation on September 23 to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ukrainian refugees, as the measures are set to expire soon. Senators Richard Blumenthal, Lisa Murkowski, Chris Coons, and Bill Cassidy are the proposed authors of the extension. Blumenthal emphasized the gravity of the situation in a press release, stating that returning Ukrainians to their homeland would be inhumane, given the ongoing missile and drone strikes, abduction of children, and lack of heating.
TPS, initially granted to Ukrainians in April 2022 following Russia's full-scale invasion, is set to expire on October 19. As of February 2026, over 101,000 Ukrainians hold TPS designations, according to the Migration Policy Institute. With TPS, these immigrants cannot be deported by federal authorities and have the right to work in the U.S., although it does not provide a pathway to permanent citizenship.
Currently, TPS is available to immigrants from El Salvador, Lebanon, Sudan, Ukraine, and Venezuela. The legislation aims to provide these individuals with stability and protection as they contribute to American communities. The move comes after the Trump administration attempted to limit TPS designations over the summer, following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
This ruling allowed the administration to end TPS for immigrants from Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, and Haiti, leading to a renewed wave of deportation that endangered the lives of returning individuals, according to Human Rights Watch.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
