Ukrainian refugees mistakenly told they must leave US, reports say

Ukrainians who fled to the United States to escape the Russian invasion received a directive this week to "immediately" leave the U.S., but the Trump administration says it was a mistake.

According to multiple reports, the urgent notices were sent early Friday to "some" Ukrainians who are in the U.S. under the "Uniting for Ukraine" program that allows Americans to sponsor Ukrainians to prove that they will be financially supported in the U.S.

Later Friday, DHS sent another email to let them know that the notice was a mistake. 

What did the notice to Ukrainian refugees say? 

What we know:

"It is time for you to leave the United States," the notice began, according to The Washington Post. 

A copy of the message shared on X shows that it ended with, "Do not attempt to remain in the United States - the federal government will find you. Please depart the United States immediately." 

The notices were sent on the same day a Russian missile strike in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih killed 18 people, including nine children, and injured 72 others. Russia has so far been unwilling to accept a ceasefire agreement to end the war, despite growing pressure from the U.S. and Europe to do so. 

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According to Migrant Insider, the errant message sparked widespread confusion and calls to members of Congress about Ukrainian refugees in their districts. 

What we don't know:

It’s unclear exactly how many Ukrainian refugees got the notice. 

What they're saying:

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told The Post that "a message was sent in error to some Ukrainians."

The spokesperson added that the "parole program has not been terminated."

Dig deeper:

Although the notice was sent in error, many Ukrainians are preparing for the same directive: President Donald Trump is pushing to end legal status for nearly 2 million people who entered the U.S. through humanitarian parole programs while President Joe Biden was in office. He’s already ordered the end of legal status for 530,000 Venezuelans, Cubans and Haitians, and Trump said in March that he’s considering the same order for Ukrainians.

An oversized Ukrainian flag is displayed in front of a residential building in Hell's Kitchen, New York City, symbolizing support for Ukraine in the ongoing war with Russia. (Photo by: Deb Cohn-Orbach/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

How many Ukrainians have fled since Russia’s invasion? 

By the numbers:

According to the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, more than 6.9 million people have fled the war in Ukraine. 

NBC News reported that as of February 2023, more than 271,000 Ukrainian refugees had come to the United States. Of those, more than 117,000 were admitted through the Biden administration’s "Uniting for Ukraine" program that allows Americans to sponsor Ukrainians to prove that they will be financially supported in the U.S. 

About 150,000 Ukrainians entered the U.S. outside of the program, some through the traditional refugee program and others by crossing the U.S.-Mexico border before "United for Ukraine" was launched.