US preserves deportation protection for about 100,000 Ukrainians as TPS expiration date passes
The US Department of Homeland Security said Ukrainian and Sudanese Temporary Protected Status holders can continue living and working in the United States without fear of deportation, even though their TPS was set to expire on Monday, October 19. The agency said final decisions on the programs would be made "at the appropriate time," leaving the protection in place for now.
Key points
- TPS for Ukrainian and Sudanese citizens was scheduled to expire on Monday, October 19, 2026.
- The Department of Homeland Security said holders will retain their protection until final decisions are announced.
- As of March 2025, more than 100,000 Ukrainians and more than 1,790 Sudanese citizens were enrolled in TPS.
- On September 22, a bipartisan group of US senators wrote to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging that Ukrainian status be extended.
- The senators argued Ukrainians make up a significant share of US transportation, medical, and construction workers and that ending their status could "lead to increased costs for American consumers."
- The DHS move contrasts with the Trump administration's broader record of revoking TPS for more than 1 million immigrants from over 10 countries, including Afghanistan, Haiti, and Venezuela.
Why it matters
The decision spares roughly 100,000 Ukrainians from immediate loss of deportation protection and the right to work in the United States. It also reflects a split with the Trump administration's broader push to wind down TPS, which has already led to the revocation of protection for more than 1 million immigrants from countries including Afghanistan, Haiti, and Venezuela.
What happened
Temporary Protected Status for Ukrainian and Sudanese citizens was due to expire on Monday, October 19, 2026. The US Department of Homeland Security told CBS News that Ukrainian and Sudanese TPS holders will be able to continue living and working in the United States without fear of deportation. In Sunday statements, DHS said final decisions on the programs "will be made at the appropriate time" and that current holders would keep their protection until those decisions are announced. As of March 2025, federal authorities reported more than 100,000 Ukrainians and more than 1,790 Sudanese citizens enrolled in TPS. The development came after a bipartisan group of US senators wrote on September 22 to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, arguing that Ukrainians make up a significant share of workers in US transportation, medical, and construction sectors and that ending their status could "lead to increased costs for American consumers."
How Ukrainian sources describe it
The Ukrainian source frames the decision primarily as a reprieve for around 100,000 Ukrainians whose TPS was about to lapse, emphasizing the immediate relief for Ukrainians living in the United States.
Background
Temporary Protected Status is a US humanitarian program that grants temporary permission to stay to people fleeing war, natural disasters, or other humanitarian crises. As of March 2025, more than 100,000 Ukrainians and more than 1,790 Sudanese citizens were enrolled, and both were due to share the same October 19 expiration date. The Trump administration has criticized TPS as effectively an amnesty abused by the previous administration and has revoked the status for more than 1 million immigrants from over 10 countries, including Afghanistan, Haiti, and Venezuela; Ukrainian and Sudanese TPS holders are among the few whose programs have remained in place nearly two years into the administration's term.