Murkowski, Shaheen Seek Explanation for Alarming Email from Department of Homeland Security to Ukrainians in the United States
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem yesterday seeking answers following reports that Ukrainians on humanitarian parole in the United States had received threatening emails from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stating that their humanitarian parole status had been terminated and that they had seven days to depart the country.
“Even if this message was sent in error, threatening the abrupt termination of humanitarian parole for Ukrainians is alarming and adverse to the U.S. national interest,” the Senators wrote. “At a time when a Kremlin official was in the United States negotiating with Administration officials, this mixed message sends the wrong signal: that the U.S. may abandon Ukrainians in need even as Ukraine remains under attack by Vladimir Putin.”
“We urge the agency to provide immediate clarification to Ukrainians in the United States that their humanitarian parole has not been terminated, and that there are no plans to terminate the program while Ukraine is still under active attack by Russia,” the Senators concluded. “We also request a briefing on any future plans regarding humanitarian parole for Ukrainians and an immediate explanation as to how these emails were sent in error.”
The full text of the letter can be found here and below.
Dear Secretary Noem:
We are extremely concerned about notifications that Ukrainians on humanitarian parole in the United States have received official notifications from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)—apparently in error—that their parole had been terminated and that they are required to depart the United States within seven days.
Even if this message was sent in error, threatening the abrupt termination of humanitarian parole for Ukrainians is alarming and adverse to the U.S. national interest. At a time when a Kremlin official was in the United States negotiating with Administration officials, this mixed message sends the wrong signal: that the U.S. may abandon Ukrainians in need even as Ukraine remains under attack by Vladimir Putin.
Ukrainians who have participated in the Uniting for Ukraine program have entered the U.S. lawfully, passed rigorous screening and vetting requirements and have been required to find financial support from private U.S. sponsors. These are individuals, including children, who have fled a war zone and followed a lawful process. Many are working in our states, paying taxes and contributing to local communities. Abruptly and cruelly telling victims of Russia’s war to leave the country would not reflect American values—and it risks emboldening Putin to continue the war, despite President Trump’s stated objectives to establish peace.
For many Ukrainians, conditions on the ground in Ukraine remain unsafe for them to return, as Putin continues to violate the limited ceasefire Russia pledged it would honor on March 18. Twenty percent of Ukraine remains occupied, the frontline in Donbas remains volatile and Russia has escalated the use of swarms of drones to attack population centers across the country, including Kyiv. We support the Administration’s desire to reach a just and sustainable peace in Ukraine, but until that goal is realized, we must continue to offer safe harbor to the Ukrainian families that have found temporary homes in our states.
The fact that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) drafted such a notification is alarming. DHS has not issued a public announcement about any planned policy change and the agency’s website continues to display information about the availability of parole for Ukrainians. Nor has Congress been notified regarding any proposed changes to the program. Congressional staff inquiries to DHS on Friday resulted in conflicting responses that demonstrated a disturbing lack of interagency coordination or strategy on the status of humanitarian parole for Ukrainians.
We urge the agency to provide immediate clarification to Ukrainians in the United States that their humanitarian parole has not been terminated, and that there are no plans to terminate the program while Ukraine is still under active attack by Russia. We also request a briefing on any future plans regarding humanitarian parole for Ukrainians and an immediate explanation as to how these emails were sent in error.
We appreciate your urgent attention to this matter.
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