Special Immigrant Group Status

I have to admit that I wonder if the Trump administration giving Ukrainians the ability to stay in the country under the Temporary Protected Status claim as opposed to, say, Haitians and Venezuelans has to do with their skin color.

Since January 2025, the Trump administration has stripped immigrants from country after country of humanitarian protections: Venezuela, Haiti, Afghanistan, Syria, South Sudan. But in recent weeks, immigrants from a few nations appear to have escaped that fate.

In the latest example, some 100,000 Ukrainians were scheduled Monday to lose temporary protected status (TPS) from deportation. But the Department of Homeland Security is expected to extend those protections, according to the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington and an official with the Trump administration who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

Based on our current understanding, TPS for Ukrainians is expected to be extended for an additional six months beyond October,” said Halyna Yusypiuk, an embassy spokeswoman.

While Trump officials and congressional Republicans have touted the termination of most TPS designations — 13 of 17 nations covered under the program have been stripped of protected status since Trump returned to office — immigrant advocates say the administration appears to be softening a signature policy ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections.

“This is different,” said Jessica Bansal, an attorney focused on TPS litigation.

Bansal speculated that Trump officials might be reluctant to deprive more American businesses of employees so close to the election. Previous TPS cancellations have caused turmoil for critical U.S. industries.

“There’s some very concrete negative consequences for businesses and other sorts of constituents that the administration may care more about if they strip these people of their status,” Bansal said.

Yeah, maybe? I mean, yes, but when has that stopped Herr Miller before?

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