Ukrainian communities shook as Trump weighs revoking legal status for 240,000

Ukrainian communities across the U.S. have been faced with a wave of uncertainty after comments from President Donald Trump Thursday, where he said he would soon decide whether to revoke temporary legal status for roughly 240,000 Ukrainians who fled their homeland amid the war with Russia.

Though Trump told reporters that his administration is “not looking to hurt anybody," he said, “There were some people that think that's appropriate, and some people don't, and I'll be making the decision pretty soon."

Trump’s comments follow a report that the Republican administration was planning to take such a step – ultimately reversing the open-invitation more than 1.8 million refugees were given by former president Joe Biden’s administration in 2022.

“[Trump] is treating the Ukrainians who work here legally very badly. We have U4U status, we work here legally, we pay taxes,” said a Ukrainian refugee in New York City. “He is acting very wrongly,” she added, with tears.
The concern comes a week after Trump’s explosive meeting in the Oval Office with Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy, where the two – along with Vice-President JD Vance – butted heads over potential peace talks with Russia.