Nearly 240,000 Ukrainians living legally in the US received a sudden email from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on April 3. The message claimed their parole status had been revoked, and they had seven days to leave the country.

The notice stated, “DHS is now exercising its discretion to terminate your parole. Unless it expires sooner, your parole will terminate 7 days from the date of this notice.”
It further warned, “Please depart the United States immediately.”

Confusion and Panic Spread

At first, the email created chaos. Many Ukrainians panicked and started calling lawmakers in their districts. The unexpected message caught them off guard. The news was first reported by Migrant Insider.

Background: Biden Had Approved the Program

Earlier, President Joe Biden had launched the "Uniting for Ukraine" (U4U) program. It allowed Ukrainians to enter and stay in the US temporarily. However, Donald Trump had promised to revoke such parole programs. In fact, he had already canceled parole status for 530,000 Venezuelans, Cubans, and Haitians.

Last month, Trump said he was also thinking about ending the Ukrainian parole program.

DHS Later Admitted the Mistake

Soon after, the DHS confirmed the email was sent by mistake. They reassured Ukrainians that the U4U program had not been terminated.

In a statement to CBS News, a DHS spokesperson said, “A message was sent in error to some Ukrainians under the U4U program. The U4U parole program has not been terminated.”

They also added that the administration had not yet made a final decision.

Trump Weighs His Options

Previously, in March, when reporters asked about the Ukrainian parole status, Trump said, “We’re not looking to hurt anybody, we’re certainly not looking to hurt them, and I’m looking at that.”
He added, “There were some people that think that’s appropriate, and some people don’t, and I’ll be making the decision pretty soon.”

Soon after returning to power, Trump had instructed DHS to shut down all broad parole programs. As a result, the "Uniting for Ukraine" program was also put on hold. This move prevented current Ukrainian parolees from renewing their status. It also stopped new applications from being processed.

Looking Ahead

For now, DHS says the U4U program is still active. However, many Ukrainians remain anxious. They fear another unexpected change may come. While the recent email was a mistake, it reminded them how uncertain their future in the US still is.