Mass deportations of Ukrainians from the US: Trump's position and what is known about the first returns to Ukraine

Ukrainians have begun to be deported from the US: the first 50 citizens have already returned via the Shehyni checkpoint, and Donald Trump's administration is preparing to expel new groups. The situation is causing concern due to the possible tightening of migration policy towards Ukrainians. Find out who is affected by the deportation decisions, the reasons for the deportations, and whether this poses a threat to other Ukrainian citizens

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The Donald Trump administration is considering the possibility of large-scale deportation of Ukrainian citizens from the United States. This was reported by The Washington Post, noting that some Ukrainians have already been warned about the risk of deportation on military flights to Ukraine or Poland.

Ukrainian Ambassador to the US Olga Stefanishyna confirmed that the decisions concern citizens who have violated US law.

First groups of Ukrainians are being prepared for deportation from the United States

According to documents from the US Department of Justice, the US authorities are planning to deport a group of Ukrainian citizens in the near future. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is preparing special military flights to transport Ukrainians to Poland or directly to Ukraine.

According to the Ukrainian embassy, this concerns about 80 people who have received final court decisions on expulsion.

Position of the Ukrainian Embassy

Ambassador Stefanyishyna emphasized that deportation is a standard legal procedure that applies to all foreigners who violate the terms of their stay in the United States. A significant portion of these decisions were made for violations committed before the start of the full-scale war.

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50 Ukrainians deported from the US have already been returned to Ukraine

On November 18, 50 citizens deported from the United States returned to Ukraine through the Shehyni checkpoint on the border with Poland. This was reported in a comment to Suspilne by Andriy Demchenko, spokesman for the State Border Service.

According to the spokesperson, the citizens were documented with Ukrainian passports or return documents. The US had informed Ukraine in advance of its intention to deport a group of individuals in transit through Polish territory in accordance with international law.

Ukrainian border guards processed their entry in accordance with current regulations, and the circumstances that led to the decision on forced expulsion are currently being established.

Is this the beginning of mass deportations of Ukrainians?

At this time, there is no official information about the launch of a large-scale deportation campaign.

In previous years, the US has also deported Ukrainians: in fiscal year 2024, 53 Ukrainian citizens were deported. The potential deportation of 80 people would be the largest number in recent years, but in terms of the Ukrainian diaspora, these figures remain insignificant.

Why is there growing concern?

Reports in The Washington Post indicate that the Trump administration is preparing a general tightening of immigration policy. This may include:

- more active use of deportation flights;

- a review of humanitarian programs;

- stricter control of the status of foreigners, including Ukrainians.

The position of Ukraine and the US authorities

The Ukrainian Embassy emphasizes that deportations apply only to individuals with violations of their immigration status.

There are currently no changes regarding holders of valid U4U, TPS, or other legal grounds for staying in the US.

In particular, in 2025, documents were discussed according to which the Trump administration allegedly considered plans to deport more than 200,000 Ukrainians. Donald Trump later publicly denied this, stating that Ukrainians would be allowed to remain in the US until the end of the war.

Who may be at risk of deportation from the US?

Lawyers identify several categories of Ukrainian citizens who may be at risk if the policy is tightened:

1. Persons with expired or canceled status

This refers to those whose U4U humanitarian parole, TPS, or visa has expired and who have not applied for an extension.

2. Individuals who have missed immigration hearings

Missing a court hearing almost guarantees an automatic deportation order.

3. Individuals detained for violating the law

Any offense can be grounds for deportation, especially during a period of increased immigration control.

4. Individuals without valid documents

Those who entered without going through the proper procedures or are in the US without legal grounds will be among the first candidates for forced deportation.

What should Ukrainians in the US do to protect their status?

Check the validity of all documents. This applies especially to U4U, TPS, work permits, and immigration cases.

Contact a lawyer immediately if you receive a notice from ICE. Most deportations could be avoided if people did not ignore official letters and requests.

Do not miss immigration court hearings. Failure to appear in court automatically turns the case into a deportation case.

Keep track of official updates. The Ukrainian Embassy and USCIS regularly provide explanations regarding statuses and procedures.

Please note! Although there are no mass deportations at this time, the Donald Trump administration's policy may become more stringent, causing concern among the Ukrainian community in the US.

It is important for Ukrainians who are in the US legally to closely monitor the validity of their documents and maintain their current status.

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Reminder! We previously reported that a new rule came into effect in the US in mid-October, causing a storm of protest among migrants and human rights activists. The Department of Homeland Security introduced a mandatory fee for humanitarian residence permits. Find out who exactly is affected by the new fee and whether there will be exceptions for participants in humanitarian programs in our article.

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