Ukrainian Refugees in the US Worry Trump Could Push Them Out
Hundreds of thousands have fled the war, landing in US cities under a Biden-era program. With Trump back in power, their status is increasingly tenuous.
Eduard Prykhodko and Anastasiia Bohdanovych at home in Los Angeles.
Photographer: Stella Kalinina for Bloomberg BusinessweekWhen Anastasiia Bohdanovych and her husband arrived in California in July on a two-year “humanitarian parole” granted to Ukrainian war refugees, they expected to stay for the long haul. After all, the fighting raged on, and the US had been welcoming their compatriots ever since Russia invaded their country in 2022. The young couple rented an apartment in North Hollywood, got jobs, entered the green-card lottery and made plans to start a family.
But the past three months have persuaded them to look outside America for a stable future. “Maybe not Ukraine right now, because there’s a war in Ukraine. But maybe Spain or Italy or something like that,” says Bohdanovych, 27, who worked as a sales rep in Odesa before fleeing for the US. “We need a second plan—and a third plan.”