DHS Secretary Mayorkas Designates Ukraine for Temporary Protected Status

The Department of Homeland Security announced that it had designated Ukraine for Temporary Protected Status for 18 months.

Sec. Mayorkas stated when announcing the designation:

Russia’s premeditated and unprovoked attack on Ukraine has resulted in an ongoing war, senseless violence, and Ukrainians forced to seek refuge in other countries. In these extraordinary times, we will continue to offer our support and protection to Ukrainian nationals in the United States.

Temporary Protected Status is designated to foreign nationals in the United States when conditions in their home country make returning home too dangerous. DHS has three statutory bases that trigger the designation – ongoing armed conflict, environmental disasters, or extraordinary {text} temporary conditions.

DHS stated that Ukraine currently falls under both the armed conflict and the extraordinary and temporary conditions bases – preventing Ukrainian nationals in the United States from returning home safely.

The DHS added in their announcement of TPS that the designation stems from the Russian invasion of the sovereign nation. The department stated:

This invasion has caused a humanitarian crisis with significant numbers of individuals fleeing and damage to civilian infrastructure that has left many without electricity or water or access to food, basic supplies, shelter, and emergency medical services.

“Individuals eligible for TPS under this designation must have continuously resided in the United States since March 1, 2022. Individuals who attempt to travel to the United States after March 1, 2022 will not be eligible for TPS. TPS applicants must meet all eligibility requirements and undergo security and background checks,” the memo stated.

To read the complete TPS announcement, please click here.