TPS Ukraine is set to expire Monday, leaving about 101,000 Ukrainians in the United States in uncertainty after the 2022 Russian invasion. In the Philadelphia region, where tens of thousands of Ukrainians have built new lives, the deadline has sharpened anxiety for families who had counted on temporary protection.
Iryna Mazur, the honorary consul of Ukraine to Philadelphia and an immigration attorney, said, “Everyone is extremely stressed.” She said TPS for Ukraine needs to be extended and redesignated, and some Ukrainians have already left for other lands because they worry about whether they can stay in the United States.
Philadelphia region and TPS for Ukraine
Mazur’s warning reflects what is at stake for people whose homes in Ukraine were destroyed and whose cities remain under attack. TPS gives people from a designated country temporary protection from deportation; for Ukraine, the program would need both an extension and a redesignation to cover newer arrivals.
Mary Kalyna, a Ukrainian American activist in Philadelphia, said, “There’s a lot of confusion.” Andre Krug, president and CEO of KleinLife, said, “These are our neighbors, employees, parents and children,” and added, “They were welcomed into this country, they followed the rules, and they became part of our community.”
USCIS and the Federal Register
Under immigration lawyers’ reading of the law, the absence of prior notice from the Trump administration automatically triggers a six-month extension of TPS. The American Immigration Council says decisions on TPS must be published in the Federal Register at least 60 days in advance of expiration, and if that does not happen, TPS is automatically extended for at least six months.
As of Saturday, Citizenship and Immigration Services still listed Oct. 19 as the expiration date. USCIS spokesperson Zach Kahler said the agency “is actively processing discretionary re-parole cases, including those for Ukrainians, on a case-by-case basis as the law intends.” He also said, “Under this administration, all aliens are undergoing intense screening and vetting to better protect the safety and security of the American people.”
Sudan and the next update
TPS for Sudan, which protects about 1,800 people, was also due to expire Monday. The government has advised people to watch for updates on the USCIS website, and the question for Ukrainians is whether the Trump administration will issue a formal announcement before the protection expires or let the automatic extension operate on its own.
For families in Philadelphia and beyond, that leaves the same immediate task: keep checking the USCIS website and prepare for either a posted extension or a new notice that changes the timeline.
