Trump shifts tone, says Ukrainian war refugees welcome to remain

President Donald Trump announced on July 29 that Ukrainians who fled Russia’s full-scale invasion and are currently living in the United States will be allowed to remain until the war concludes — a shift that marks a notable departure from his administration’s otherwise restrictive approach to immigration.

“We will. We have a lot of people who came in from Ukraine, and we’re working with them,” Trump told reporters during a brief exchange at the White House, Caliber.Az reports, citing Ukrainian press.

The remarks came as a surprise to many, given the administration’s ongoing reassessment — and in some cases, rollback — of humanitarian parole initiatives created under President Biden. Since taking office in January 2025, the Trump administration has taken steps to scale back or suspend several programs that had provided temporary protection to migrants, including Ukrainians.

One such initiative is the Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) program, launched in April 2022 under the Biden administration. It allowed US-based sponsors to bring Ukrainian nationals and their immediate families to the United States for up to two years under humanitarian parole. More than 240,000 Ukrainians entered the country through this pathway, fleeing war and destruction in their homeland.

However, the future of that program had appeared uncertain in recent months. Earlier this year, reports emerged that the Trump administration was considering revoking the temporary legal status granted under U4U, raising concerns of large-scale deportations. Tensions spiked in April when the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) mistakenly sent emails to some Ukrainians, falsely notifying them that their parole had been terminated and instructing them to leave the US immediately. DHS later clarified the message had been sent in error, but the incident fueled anxieties among Ukrainian refugees.

Adding to concerns, the administration suspended new applications for U4U in January, and internal discussions reportedly centred on broader efforts to dismantle parole-based humanitarian entry programs. Some proposals floated the idea of offering financial incentives — up to $1,000 per person — for migrants, including Ukrainians, who agreed to participate in voluntary return programs. The administration was also said to be considering redirecting funds originally designated for refugee aid to support these efforts.

Trump’s latest comments suggest a reversal in tone, if not yet in policy. Although he did not provide specifics on how the government will support Ukrainian refugees going forward, his assurance that they can stay “until the war is over” offers a measure of relief to many facing legal uncertainty.

The statement could ease immediate fears of deportation for thousands of Ukrainians, many of whom have begun to establish new lives in the US. It also contrasts sharply with broader administration policies that have aimed to narrow the scope of the US Refugee Admissions Program and impose tighter eligibility criteria for humanitarian parolees.

Doug Klain, a policy analyst with Razom, a US-based organisation that advocates for Ukrainian causes, welcomed the president’s remarks.

“It’s incredibly heartening to see [that] President Trump recognises that Ukrainians who’ve fled the war want to return home,” Klain told the Ukrainian media. “By giving Ukraine the tools it needs to defend itself against Russia, he can make sure the war ends sooner so they can go home to rebuild.”

Klain stressed that the vast majority of Ukrainians who sought refuge in the US did so out of necessity, not choice, and ultimately hope to return to a safe and stable homeland.

“It’s great to see President Trump recognise that,” he added. “I have no doubt this will make a lot of people happy.”

By Tamilla Hasanova