Ukrainians who fled war and the US communities that welcomed them fear they may be uprooted under Trump

Sasha had only heard a little about South Carolina, and even less about the town of Hartsville, when he and his family moved there in September 2022.

Sasha had only heard a little about South Carolina, and even less about the town of Hartsville, when he and his family moved there in September 2022. They were forced to suddenly leave behind their life in Kyiv because of the war with Russia. They are not the only Ukrainians in the “small, rural community” where they have been welcomed and begun to rebuild their lives. “For me, the United States, it was like a fortress of democracy, of freedom, of opportunities, and I thought, finally, finally, I’m in the place where I can begin my life all over again,” Sasha, who is not using his last name for fear of reprisal, told CNN. Sasha, his wife and his young daughter are among the approximately 280,000 Ukrainians who have relocated to the United States through “Uniting for Ukraine” (U4U), a US government humanitarian parole program that allowed private US citizens to sponsor and help support Ukrainian refugees. Now, Sasha’s family and scores of others who came to the US under the U4U program fear their lives may once again be uprooted, as decisions on parole extensions, temporary protected status, and work authorizations have been paused amid the Trump administration’s sweeping changes to the immigration system. “This really could be catastrophic, not just for the Ukrainian families, but for our community,” said Curtis Lee, Sasha’s sponsor and a member of “Carolinas for Ukraine.”