Latest news with #U4U
Newsweek
08-05-2025
- Newsweek
ICE Threatened To Deport Texas Man To War Torn Country
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A Ukrainian man legally residing in Texas has been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for over three months—despite holding lawful status and having no criminal convictions. Pavlo Mykolayovych Zinkevych, 37, was arrested by Frisco Police around 2 a.m. on January 26, 2025, near the intersection of Preston Road and Eldorado Parkway—just three minutes from his home. According to his fiancée, Liubov Abdrazakova, Zinkevych had been out with friends and was driving home when police stopped him for a minor traffic violation and suspected DWI. During a field sobriety test, officers asked him to balance on one leg—a task he failed due to a titanium plate in his leg from a 2019 injury. A breathalyzer test was later administered at the station. The next morning, a judge set bond at $500 for a misdemeanor, which was promptly paid. But Zinkevych never came back home. Pavlo Zinkevych (R) alongside his fiancée Liubov Abdrazakova (L). Pavlo Zinkevych (R) alongside his fiancée Liubov Abdrazakova (L). Supplied Instead, ICE placed a hold on him. After a brief stop at the Dallas Field Office, he was transferred to the Bluebonnet Detention Facility in Anson, Texas, where he has remained since January 28, 2025. Zinkevych lawfully entered the United States in 2022 under the Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) program and currently holds a valid I-94, a Social Security number, and has a pending application for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). However, his parole has since been revoked, his fiancée said. Despite his legal status, his fiancée says ICE agents threatened to deport him to war-torn Ukraine, where his hometown lies just miles from the Russian border. "Pavlo was woken up by ICE agents asking, 'Do you want to stay and fight your case or do you want to be deported to Ukraine?'" Abdrazakova told Newsweek in an exclusive statement. "He believes ICE agents are financially incentivized to pursue deportations. They're trying to mentally break a person to get them to sign a deportation order," she claimed. Pavlo Zinkevych (R) alongside his fiancée Liubov Abdrazakova (L). Pavlo Zinkevych (R) alongside his fiancée Liubov Abdrazakova (L). Supplied Abdrazakova says his physical and mental health are deteriorating rapidly. Inside Bluebonnet, he suffers from severe leg pain due to the titanium plate and dental issues from decaying teeth. According to his fiancée, detention staff have refused to treat him despite his private dental insurance. She also alleges he's been subjected to inhumane treatment, including being referred to by a bed number instead of his name, and has endured racist comments from staff. The financial toll has also been significant. "His prolonged detention has caused severe financial hardship for both of us," Abdrazakova said. "He has numerous unpaid bills. His car is at risk of repossession, and we had to break our apartment lease. His credit score—something he worked hard to build—is now ruined." "I am broken, empty, devastated, and angry," she continued. "We had been house hunting before his arrest. We planned to get married in May and start a family. This detention has destroyed everything he worked so hard for." Newsweek has contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for comment via email but has not yet received a response. The Bluebonnet Detention Facility previously made national headlines when Reuters published drone footage showing detainees in jumpsuits forming an SOS signal, waving to the camera, with one flashing a peace sign. Since his detention, Zinkevych—who works as a fiber network contractor—has attended three immigration court hearings. At his first hearing—a bond hearing on February 17, 2025—Immigration Judge Michael Pleters stated that he did not have jurisdiction to issue a bond, asserting that responsibility lies with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). "They [DHS] make mistakes all the time by saying it is the immigration judge's decision," Judge Pleters remarked during the hearing. The second hearing, held on March 20, 2025, saw Zinkevych's attorney, Joseph Reina, argue that his client was being unlawfully detained and should be released. Immigration Judge Jessica Miles requested a follow-up hearing and asked Reina to submit a legal brief supporting that claim. During the third hearing on April 3, 2025, after reviewing the brief, Judge Miles stated she believes that Zinkevych should not be detained. However, she emphasized that she lacked jurisdiction to order his release. Despite Zinkevych having a pending application for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and having established a prima facie case—meaning he is not currently deportable—DHS maintains that he is subject to removal. DHS also retains sole authority over his bond and release, yet has remained unresponsive to multiple legal requests, according to his attorney. Judge Miles asked DHS council to reach out to USCIS and expedite TPS but no actions were taken by DHS Zinkevych's next immigration hearing is scheduled for May 8, 2025.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'They're not worried about accuracy': Lawyers, people across Washington state receive a letter telling them they have 7 days to leave
Apr. 18—Lawyers and people across the Inland Northwest received a letter last week from the Department of Homeland Security telling them they have seven days to leave the United States or face legal consequences. "Do not attempt to remain in the United States — the federal government will find you. Please depart the United States immediately," the letter reads. Olga Lucia Herrera, community liaison at the Spokane Immigrant Rights Coalition, was told about the letter after someone brought it up to her and didn't know what to do. Since then, she has found at least 20 people who have received the same letter. "They're panicking. They were already scared, and now they're more scared," Herrera said. The confusion comes as the second Trump administration has taken numerous unprecedented measures to crack down on immigration. The emailed letters were not addressed to any specific names and started with: "It is time for you to leave the United States." Jason Givens, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman, told The Spokesman-Review and Spokane Public Radio that they have issued notices terminating parole for individuals who do not have lawful status to remain. Many people seeking legal status are paroled, meaning they have to check in with immigration officials on a regular basis. This letter was not limited to users of the federal online and mobile app for immigrants, CBP One, and does not apply to those paroled under programs such as U4U and OAW, according to their statement. U4U stands for Uniting for Ukraine, a humanitarian program that aims to help refugees and immigrants from Ukraine. OAW stands for Operation Allies Welcome, a U.S. Department of Homeland Security-led effort to support refugees from Afghanistan. "To be clear: If you are an alien, being in the United States is a privilege — not a right. We are acting in the best interest of the country and enforcing the law accordingly," Givens said. Luis Cortes, attorney at Novo Legal LLC in Seattle, said parole started for certain individuals, such as Afghans and Ukrainians. But then the Biden Administration expanded the parole program for people from certain nations. These include Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Haiti. "This was Biden's approach to try to stop the surge of people coming from the southern border, because we started seeing a lot of people coming in through the southern border who are from Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba and Haiti," Cortes said. "The idea is that instead of them either coming across the border and not being detected, what's happening is that they would come across the border to try to turn themselves into CBP." When they turn themselves over, Cortes said they go through rounds of background checks, finding a sponsor in the United States and asking questions on the state of their situation. "Once all of that is set, then you can come into the United States; the parole, the authorized stay in the United States, is for typically one year that can be renewed," Cortes said. "Or what most people are doing is that they're applying for asylum once they're here. Has everybody applied for asylum? No. So you have all of these parolees in the United States who are in different sections of their immigration processes. "And what the letter really does in its functionality is that it creates a lot of chaos and confusion, which is part of this administration," he said. Some who are U.S. citizens or have legal status have also received this letter. "I've heard of plenty of immigration attorneys in Washington and others receiving these despite the fact that these immigration attorneys are U.S. citizens and cannot be forced to leave the United States," said Aaron Korthuis, staff attorney at Northwest Immigrant Rights Project. Korthuis said knowing that immigration attorneys are receiving this letter undermines the parole process, and he said he finds it strange that they have been thrown into the mix. Other lawyers across the country also have received this message. Nicole Micheroni, a lawyer based in Boston, has been outspoken after receiving the letter last Friday. "It took me a couple of minutes to realize it was sent to me, instead of someone I represent," Micheroni told the Boston Globe. Givens, of CBP, said the agency is aware that some people legally in the country received the order to leave. "CBP used the known email addresses of the alien to send notifications. If a nonpersonal email — such as an American citizen contact — was provided by the alien, notices may have been sent to unintended recipients. CBP is monitoring communications and will address any issues on a case-by-case basis," CBP said in the statement. Herrera said she sent a letter to U.S. Rep. Michael Baumgartner regarding the concerns of numerous people in the community who have received the letter from DHS. "Most of the individuals who received these emails were never granted parole, nor do they have any documentation indicating they ever had such status. Many are asylum seekers, individuals with pending immigration relief, or undocumented people with no criminal history who have lived in the U.S. peacefully for years," her letter to Baumgartner states. A spokesman for Baumgartner said he was unavailable for comment Thursday. "The biggest piece of advice is that people need to make sure that they talk to somebody before they make any moves, before they decide to do or not do anything. They should talk to somebody because, you know, they want to make sure that the steps that they're taking are precise to their situation," Cortes said. He added that there's "nothing illegal" about their entry into the country. "They applied with the government. They came in on their own dime, with the permission of the government. There's nothing about the word 'illegal' that remotely fits in here, but, I mean, the Trump Administration has again shown that they're not worried about accuracy."
Forbes
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Forbes
280,000 Ukrainian Refugees To Be Deported By Trump Soon
A woman with two children and carrying bags walk on a street to leave Ukraine after crossing the ... More border on February 25, 2022, following Russia's invasion of the Ukraine. (Photo by PETER LAZAR / AFP) (Photo by PETER LAZAR/AFP via Getty Images) The Trump campaign's reported consideration of deporting nearly 280,000 Ukrainian refugees who were legally admitted to the United States under the Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) program is not just a humanitarian concern—it's a potentially significant geopolitical error. These refugees, most of whom are women, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities, fled an active war zone through a lawful program initiated by the U.S. government. Deporting them now would endanger lives, signal a wavering U.S. resolve to adversaries like Russia and China, and undermine America's credibility as a defender of democratic values and global stability. Unfortunately, this threat is not confined to Ukrainians. Haitians, Cubans, Venezuelans, Nicaraguans, and Afghans admitted through Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and humanitarian parole programs now find themselves in a similar state of limbo. The message to them all is chilling: even legal, orderly entry under humanitarian programs supported by presidential authority and congressional funding may no longer provide protection. The U4U initiative to assist Ukrainian refugees was not merely an act of charity; it was a strategic response by the United States to Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Deporting these refugees now would not only betray our legal and moral obligations but also convey a dangerous message to the world—that America no longer upholds the rule of law, even when it concerns its own. History offers sobering lessons when democracies appease aggression. In 1938, British and French leaders notably surrendered the Sudetenland to Hitler at Munich, hoping that territorial concessions would prevent war. The key lesson of Munich is that appeasing aggressive authoritarian regimes in the hope of preserving peace emboldens them to pursue even greater acts of expansion and violence. In 1938, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and other Western leaders, aiming to avoid war, permitted Adolf Hitler to annex the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia through the Munich Agreement—without Czech consent. This short-term concession failed to prevent conflict; rather, it reinforced Hitler's belief that the Allies lacked the resolve to resist him, ultimately leading to the outbreak of World War II in 1939. The Munich lesson underscores the peril of sacrificing principles and allies for temporary peace, emphasizing the strategic cost of underestimating totalitarian ambition. Munich initiated Hitler's campaign of conquest that culminated in the deaths of more than 50 million people. That failure directly resulted in the creation of the postwar global order, the founding of NATO, and the United Nations—all institutions aimed at ensuring that tyrants could not redraw borders through force. Today, that same principle is under threat in Ukraine, and the U.S. risks repeating past mistakes. President Trump's frequent remarks about 'peace plans' involving the partitioning of Ukraine, along with efforts to terminate aid and deport war refugees, strongly resemble the logic of appeasement seen in Munich. Such proposals appeal to the likes of Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Kim Jong Un, and the Iranian clerics. If the U.S. deports those fleeing tyranny while simultaneously engaging with the tyrants, it will undermine not just American moral authority but also its credibility as a deterrent. In 1994, Ukraine surrendered the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal to Russia in exchange for security assurances from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russia under the Budapest Memorandum. That pledge—widely regarded as a foundational element of post-Cold War security—was based on a simple idea: if Ukraine relinquished its nuclear weapons, the West would defend its territorial integrity. What signal is the U.S. sending to the world if, three decades later, it not only fails to stop Ukraine's dismemberment by Russia but also deports those fleeing its consequences? The answer is that American assurances are worthless. When autocrats violate sovereignty, America's response is to aid the autocrats by deporting their victims rather than sanctioning the aggressors overseas. The implications extend far beyond Ukraine. If America is perceived as retreating from its commitments—first regarding aid, then concerning protection—it undermines America's standing in every strategic theater: from Taiwan to the Baltics, from the South China Sea to the Persian Gulf. In 2022, over 12 million Ukrainians were displaced due to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with 6 million seeking refuge abroad—mainly in Europe. The U.S., despite being the wealthiest nation on earth, admitted fewer than 300,000, while Canada, with one-tenth of the U.S. population, accepted more. If Russia consolidates its hold on Ukraine today, projections suggest that up to 20 million additional refugees could be forced to flee. This would not only overwhelm neighboring European states, but also potentially destabilize the European Union itself, empower far-right populism, and fracture NATO. The resulting second-order refugee crisis—in a displaced Europe—could send waves of further refugees along with serious economic and political instability westward, ultimately reaching America's doorstep. This is not an abstract risk. In 2015, the Syrian refugee crisis contributed to the destabilization of European politics, fueling Brexit and a rise in illiberal governance. If the U.S. now avoids responsibility in the Ukrainian crisis, it will again force Europe to bear the burden—and risk the same chaotic consequences, this time with even greater strategic stakes. According to the Kiel Institute of the World Economy, the U.S. has committed $101 billion in total aid to Ukraine. The EU, by comparison, has committed $195 billion. These are significant sums, but they are modest next to the trillions in costs of a prolonged war in Europe, a fractured NATO, and a broken refugee system. Deporting refugees—especially those who contribute economically, socially, and culturally to the U.S.—does not reduce costs. Instead, it creates new ones: legal battles, community dislocations, diplomatic fallout, and economic disruption. Most Ukrainian parolees are employed, often in high-demand sectors. Their removal would harm local economies and cause ripple effects that extend far beyond their host communities. Meanwhile, if Russia succeeds in its invasion, it will gain not only territory but also Ukraine's industrial base, military production capacity, and access to the Black Sea. This would pose a direct threat to NATO allies in Poland, Romania, and the Baltics, triggering new U.S. military commitments under Article 5. Against this backdrop, starting a Ukrainian deportation policy now would not only be inhumane but also shortsighted and self-defeating. The United States has long been characterized by its willingness to provide refuge to those escaping tyranny. This principle is not only morally admirable—it is also strategically sound. Immigration has enriched American life, strengthened its labor force, and bolstered its alliances. Humanitarian parole and refugee programs have been utilized for decades to protect those at risk and advance U.S. interests abroad, from Cold War defectors to post-9/11 interpreters and allies. Ukrainian parolees are part of that legacy. They arrived legally, under strict vetting, with sponsors and community networks in place. To uproot them now is to violate not just individual rights but collective trust—in the rule of law, in humanitarian principles, and in the promises of democratic government. We must not permit immigration policy to become a tool for political posturing, particularly when it risks dismantling decades of strategic investment and moral leadership. Deporting Ukrainian refugees will not 'fix' a broken system; instead, it will betray the very values that have defined America at its best.
WIRED
13-04-2025
- Politics
- WIRED
Homeland Security Email Tells a US Citizen to 'Immediately' Self-Deport
Apr 12, 2025 9:35 PM An email sent by the Department of Homeland Security instructs people in the US on a temporary legal status to leave the country. But who the email actually applies to—and who actually received it—is far from clear. The front entrance to the US Customs and Border Protection headquarters. Photograph: United States Department of Homeland Security sent an email this week informing people living in the US on a temporary legal status that their "parole" has been revoked and instructed them to leave the country "immediately." However, the email was also addressed to at least one US citizen, an immigration attorney from Massachusetts. And it remains unclear who must abide by the email's instructions—or why the apparent revocation of legal immigration status was delivered via email at all. The email informs the recipient that 'DHS is now exercising its discretion to terminate your parole,' which it says will go into effect '7 days from the date of this notice.' The email appears to be similar, if not identical, to messages received by users of CBP One, an app developed during the Biden administration that allows non-citizens from certain countries to schedule appointments at US points of entry in an effort to seek asylum. A spokesperson for US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) tells WIRED, however, that the email was sent more broadly. 'CBP has issued notices terminating parole for individuals who do not have lawful status to remain,' says CBP assistant commissioner for public affairs Hilton Beckham. 'This process is not limited to CBP One users and does not currently apply to those paroled under programs such as U4U and OAW.' U4U refers to Uniting for Ukraine, a program launched under the Biden administration to allow for expedited immigration to the US for Ukrainians fleeing Russia's war against its neighboring country. Former President Joe Biden began OAW, or Operation Allies Welcome, in 2021 following the US military's exit from Afghanistan to allow for the safe resettling of 'vulnerable Afghans, including those who worked alongside us in Afghanistan for the past two decades,' according to DHS. The email itself does not identify these or any other exemptions, nor does it make clear to whom it applies beyond the recipient. Beckham also confirmed that the email was sent to whatever email address the agency had associated with the intended target, leading to confusion for at least one immigration attorney. 'Some personal news: the Department of Homeland Security has given me, an immigration lawyer born in Newton, Massachusetts, seven days to leave the US,' wrote Nicole Micheroni, a partner at Cameron Micheroni & Silvia LLC, in a post on Bluesky on Friday night. 'Does anyone know if you can get Italian citizenship through great-grandparents?' Micheroni tells WIRED that she first thought the email was intended for one of her clients, but she quickly noticed that it was only addressed to her. 'I don't feel like I'm actually going to be deported in seven days, but it's concerning that this is the level of care they're using to send these out,' Micheroni says. She adds that it's possible that the DHS email was 'intended for one of my clients or somebody else,' as it's not uncommon for immigrants in the US to list their attorneys as the point of contact The Trump administration has sought to revoke the parole of some 532,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans who entered the US under a Biden-era humanitarian parole program. While it moved to subject them to expedited deportation effective April 24, on Thursday a federal judge in Boston said she would issue a protective order blocking that attempt. The order may complicate the instructions in the email, which stipulates that it does not apply to people who 'have otherwise obtained a lawful basis to remain' in the US. CBP's Beckham did not immediately respond to WIRED's questions about whether the court order would impact any recipients of the email. Attorney Lauren Regan, founder and executive director of the nonprofit Civil Liberties Defense Center, tells WIRED that the lack of clarity about whether the revocation of temporary parole applies to the recipient of the email is likely causing fear and confusion among many immigrants, especially those without access to adequate legal guidance. 'So many people don't have a lawyer, or their lawyer has 6,000 clients,' Regan says, which 'completely overloads' the attorneys who often provide pro bono legal services to immigrants. 'A lot of people that are here on parole status don't know the nuances of immigration law, so they get this email and they don't know if it applies to them,' Micheroni says. 'And most of them assume that it does because everything is really scary for people right now.' It's also unclear whether the email is related to recent efforts by Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). In an April 10 post on X, DOGE claimed that 'CBP identified a subset of 6.3k individuals paroled into the United States since 2023 on the FBI's Terrorist Screening Center watchlist or with criminal records. These paroles have since been terminated with immediate effect.' Beckham did not immediately respond to questions about whether the email was intended for these 6,300 individuals, nor did she answer WIRED's questions about how many people received the email. Then there's the matter of the email being an email at all, Regan says, adding that 'it is absolutely not common' for a change in legal immigration status to arrive via email, which typically happens in person or via certified mail. 'People would think it's a phishing email or something not legitimate,' Regan says. Also, the fact that the email does not appear to have been first posted on a government website added to questions about its authenticity. 'Normally if the government is going to change a practice, they would first do it on their websites,' Regan says, adding, 'but the fact that this was not on the website first and then sent out as a direct communication is very, very unusual.' Regan also notes that many immigrants do not have email addresses, and therefore couldn't receive the communication in the first place. Even for Micheroni, a US citizen and immigration attorney, the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement practices have made life less stable. The email only made matters worse. 'I have gotten some serious inquiries from my parents or other family members or friends being like, 'what do I do if you stop answering me or if you disappear? Like, who do you want me to call?'' she says. 'And if people in my life are feeling this way, and this is what I do, I know a lot about it,' Micheroni adds. 'I can't imagine what it's like for people that don't fully understand immigration law.'
Express Tribune
06-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Trump administration apologizes for wrongful deportation notice to Ukrainians
US Department of Homeland Security emblem is pictured at the National Cybersecurity & Communications Integration Centre (NCCIC) located just outside Washington in Arlington, Virginia September 24, 2010. PHOTO: REUTERS Listen to article Ukrainian refugees in the United States received alarming emails this week from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), instructing them to leave the country due to an alleged termination of their legal status. The notice, dated April 3, warned recipients that their parole under the Biden-era Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) program would expire in seven days and that they would face deportation if they did not depart voluntarily. The message, which caused panic among many of the 240,000 Ukrainians currently residing in the U.S. under the program, read: 'Do not attempt to remain in the United States – the federal government will find you.' It also urged recipients to sign up for self-deportation to avoid law enforcement action. However, just a day after the email was sent, DHS issued a follow-up communication confirming that the deportation notice was sent 'in error.' The agency assured those affected that their legal protections under the U4U program would not be revoked, and no further action would be taken. The erroneous notices have raised concerns among Ukrainian refugees and their sponsors, many of whom feared that the notice signalled broader changes to U.S. immigration policy under the Trump administration. DHS clarified that the U4U parole program remains intact and that the notice was a mistake. Angela Boelens, president of IA NICE, an organisation that helps sponsor Ukrainian families, shared the distress felt by those impacted. "The community was terrified,' she said, explaining how some recipients, including pregnant women and new mothers, were left in tears after receiving the original notice. This incident has sparked further questions about the administration's treatment of refugees and the confusion surrounding the status of migrants, particularly Ukrainians fleeing the ongoing war with Russia. While the Biden administration initiated the U4U program to provide temporary refuge to Ukrainians, the Trump administration has been increasingly vocal in its criticism of such humanitarian measures, claiming they have been abused. Despite the apology from DHS, the confusion has left many Ukrainians uncertain about their future in the U.S. and concerned that further disruptions could occur, particularly in light of the Trump administration's hard stance on immigration. The episode highlights the challenges facing those seeking refuge in the U.S. amid shifting immigration policies and the growing sense of instability among displaced populations.
