Two Republican Senators have joined calls for the Trump administration to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ukrainians, amid the ongoing war with Russia. Maine's Susan Collins and Alaska's Lisa Murkowski were among the senators to sign a joint letter to the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State, asking the departments to keep protections in place for over 100,000 Ukrainians living in the U.S., marking a noticeable shift for the GOP, which has overwhelmingly backed ending the status for other countries. "I have spent time with many Ukrainians who found refuge in Alaska after fleeing Russia’s brutal invasion," Murkowski said in a statement to Newsweek.
"They have become part of our communities sending their children to our schools, participating in the local workforce, and rebuilding their lives while the war continues to devastate their home country." Newsweek reached out to Collins' office and DHS for comment Wednesday afternoon. Ukraine is one of the more recent additions to the TPS list, with the status granted April 19, 2022, after the onset of the country's war with Russia. Under TPS rules, DHS and its Secretary must decide whether or not to renew the status every 18 months, meaning it has been extended twice so far, with the current designation set to lapse October 19.
It is estimated that around 101,000 Ukrainians have TPS, which prevents them from being deported and grants legal work status. According to the group of 30 senators led by Illinois Democrat Tammy Duckworth, the work carried out by this group has contributed around $2.6 billion to the U.S. economy each year, along with $716 million in taxes. The call comes as the conflict in Eastern Europe continues, with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky meeting world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly this week, including President Donald Trump, to continue his calls for help to end the war.
While Ukraine has still been able to push back against Russia's efforts, largely with the help and support of the U.S. and European allies, there has been growing concern that Russian President Vladimir Putin is growing bolder and wants to expand the conflict beyond Russia's neighbor. On Tuesday, Air Chief Marshal Sir John Stringer, who is NATO's deputy commander in Europe, told The he believed Putin was becoming "increasingly cavalier, dangerous and risk accepting." He said NATO members needed to be aware of the risk of bolder attacks. In their letter, the senators said it would not be right to send thousands of people back to an active war zone.
"Current conditions in Ukraine clearly merit the continuation of TPS status. The ongoing war has caused a humanitarian crisis and damage to critical civilian infrastructure has left many with limited or no access to heat, electricity or medical services," the letter read. Murkowski told Newsweek that her office had worked with many Ukrainian TPS families to navigate the U.S. immigration system, adding that she felt it was simply not safe for them to return home.
The concern from the senators comes against the backdrop of several countries losing TPS under the current administration. Trump, former Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, and current Secretary Markwayne Mullin have all argued that the program has been abused for several years, with designations extended unnecessarily. Over the past 19 months, TPS has been canceled for Haiti, Venezuela, Ethiopia, and Nicaragua, among others, with DHS arguing that the conditions in these countries had improved enough for immigrants to return home.
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