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AN OPEN LETTER FROM THE UKRAINIAN COMMUNITY IN THE UNITED STATES
Calling for the Extension and Redesignation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ukraine

Submitted as part of the LET THEM WORK National Advocacy Initiative
As the United States celebrates its 250th Anniversary, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to the American people on this historic milestone.
May God continue to bless the United States with peace, freedom, strength, and prosperity.
We remain deeply grateful to the United States for opening its doors to Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s full-scale invasion and for providing safety to our families during one of the darkest chapters in Ukraine’s history.

Today, on behalf of the Ukrainian community across the United States and as part of the LET THEM WORK National Advocacy Initiative, we respectfully address the President of the United States, Members of Congress, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) with an urgent request regarding Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ukraine.

More than four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion began, the war continues.
Ukrainian cities remain under constant missile and drone attacks.
Millions of people remain displaced.
Civilian infrastructure continues to be destroyed.
Families continue losing their homes and loved ones.

For many Ukrainians, returning home remains impossible because the conditions that forced them to flee still exist.
The United States responded with extraordinary compassion by welcoming hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians seeking temporary safety.
Since then, Ukrainians have worked hard to become productive members of American society.

They work.
They pay federal, state, and local taxes.
They own businesses.
They employ American workers.
They volunteer in churches and nonprofit organizations.
They support local communities.
They raise their children here while faithfully complying with every requirement of United States immigration law.

Ukrainians are not only seeking safety—they are contributing to America’s prosperity. According to the Ukrainian-American Business Impact Study, businesses founded by Ukrainians across all 50 states generate nearly $60 billion in annual revenue, support approximately 300,000 American jobs, pay about $24 billion in wages each year, and contribute an estimated $8–9 billion annually in federal, state, and local taxes. More than 45,000 Ukrainian-founded businesses have become an integral part of the U.S. economy, demonstrating that the Ukrainian community is not only rebuilding their own lives but also helping strengthen America’s economy.
According to official U.S. government data, more than 101,150 Ukrainian nationals had been granted Temporary Protected Status as of March 31, 2025.

These individuals have become part of America’s workforce and economy. Every day they contribute to the communities that welcomed them.
However, many Ukrainian families continue living in legal uncertainty.
Thousands continue waiting for decisions on TPS, employment authorization, and re-parole applications.
Others remain ineligible to apply for TPS solely because they arrived in the United States after August 16, 2023, despite fleeing the very same war under the very same humanitarian circumstances.

Recent developments have created even greater uncertainty.
On August 5, 2026, a federal court decision allowed the termination of automatic employment authorization extensions for many TPS beneficiaries with pending Employment Authorization Document (EAD) renewal applications.
As a result, many law-abiding Ukrainians who followed every legal requirement now face losing the ability to work while waiting for their applications to be processed.

Temporary Protected Status was created precisely for circumstances such as these. It exists to provide temporary humanitarian protection while returning home remains unsafe.
Today, Ukraine continues to face an ongoing full-scale war, making that protection as necessary as ever.

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For these reasons, we respectfully ask the United States Government to:
• Extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ukraine;
• Redesignate Ukraine for TPS so that eligible Ukrainians who arrived in the United States after August 16, 2023, may also apply for protection;• Ensure timely adjudication of pending TPS, re-parole, and employment authorization applications;
• Prevent unnecessary interruptions in lawful employment authorization caused solely by government processing delays;
• Protect law-abiding Ukrainians from losing the ability to work while their applications remain pending;
• Provide stability for Ukrainian families who continue complying with every requirement of U.S. immigration law.

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We are not asking for permanent immigration benefits.
We are not asking for special treatment.
We are asking for temporary humanitarian protection while Ukraine continues to endure war and while it remains unsafe for many families to return home.
America has always stood as a beacon of freedom, compassion, and hope for those fleeing war and persecution.
We respectfully ask our nation’s leaders to continue upholding those values by protecting Ukrainians who have obeyed the law, contributed to American communities, and placed their trust in the humanitarian principles of the United States.
No one who follows the law should lose the ability to work because the government has not yet completed processing their application.
We respectfully ask for your leadership, your compassion, and your continued support for the Ukrainian people.
Thank you for your service and your thoughtful consideration of this request.
May God bless the United States of America.

Respectfully,

The Undersigned Members of the Ukrainian Community in the United States

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LET THEM WORK

National Advocacy Initiative

Organized by

HEARTBEAT with AP
California 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization

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Supported by:

Ukrainian community organizations
Churches
Businesses
Community leaders
Humanitarian organizations
Volunteers
Attorneys
Individual supporters across the United States