WASHINGTON – Following Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema and her bipartisan colleagues’ urging, the administration has granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Ukraine for 18 months.
“I’m glad the administration agreed with our call granting Temporary Protected Status to Ukrainians in the United States and, as always, I stand ready to support policies that keep America safe, promote our country’s and our allies’ long-term security, and ensure our servicemembers’ safety,” said Sinema, Chair of the Senate Border Management Subcommittee.
In February, Sinema and her bipartisan colleagues urged the President to take all the necessary steps to ensure that Ukrainian nationals in the United States are not forced to return to Ukraine, including granting TPS for Ukraine.
Sinema and her bipartisan colleagues underscored that Ukraine meets the standard for TPS due to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, which makes it too dangerous for Ukrainian nationals to return home. TPS can be granted to nationals of a specific country who are currently residing in the U.S. if returning to their country would pose a serious threat to their personal safety due to an ongoing armed conflict, temporary effects of an environmental disaster, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions. TPS allows eligible nationals of designated countries to remain in the U.S. legally until TPS designation expires.
The bipartisan group of senators stressed that designating Ukraine for TPS will not endanger U.S. security, and that forcing Ukrainian nationals to return to Ukraine in the midst of war would be inconsistent with America’s values and national security interests.
Click HERE to read Sinema’s statement on Russia’s attacks on Ukraine.