SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – Oksana Mushchenko is from Ukraine.
“We arrived on March 2022, after months when the war started,” Mushchenko said.
She and her family have been in the San Diego area for than three years after fleeing the war with Russia.
“We have the two category people who arrived before August 2023. And the second category, it’s who arrived after this date. And who arrive a little bit earlier, they have opportunity to apply temporal protection status like my family,” Mushchenko said.
For those who came to the U.S. in August 2023, legal protection seems to be uncertain.
That’s because, according to the Wall Street Journal, a Biden-era program called Uniting for Ukraine was shut down by the trump administration.
“It's horrible, really horrible, because I had a TPS, temporary protection status. My TPS gone 19 April this year. I applied all documents, but unfortunately, now all programs, Ukrainian programs, in the hold,” Mushchenko said.
Mira Rubin is with Shield of Freedom, which is a local group supporting Ukrainians during the war.
“These war refugees are now either becoming illegal or they have to go back to their war-torn countries,” Rubin said.
Rubin told ABC 10News some of those who’ve supported their fundraising efforts have had to take drastic measures after not being able to renew legal protections.
“Some of them have been forced self-deport because they don't want to be targets by ICE, and they don't want to be in this, you know, illegal nightmare, you know, situation, and you know you can't work, you can't live, and yeah, it's just terrifying,” Rubin said.
Oksana told ABC 10News she still has humanitarian parole and a work permit that lasts until April 2026. She said others are still holding on to hope that they can renew their status again.
“Some people more optimistic and they uh stay here and wait decision from government,” Mushchenko said.
ABC 10News reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and the White House for comment and haven’t heard back at this time.
