US senators urge Trump administration to extend Temporary Protected Status for Ukrainians

A total of 31 US senators urged the Trump administration to extend and redesignate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ukrainians living in the US as Russia’s war against Ukraine continues.

The bipartisan letter, led by Sen. Tammy Duckworth, asks Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to issue an 18-month extension and redesignation of TPS for Ukraine before the current designation expires on Oct. 19.

The senators warned that allowing the protection to expire could force thousands of Ukrainians living in the US to return to a country still affected by active fighting, civilian casualties and widespread damage to critical infrastructure.

Ukraine was initially designated for TPS on April 19, 2022. The TPS was subsequently extended and redesignated through April 19, 2025 and extended again beginning April 20, 2025.

"Protecting the approximately 101,000 Ukrainian TPS holders currently living in the United States is a humanitarian imperative, but also a sound economic decision," they wrote.

According to the lawmakers, Ukrainian TPS holders contribute approximately $2.6 billion to the US economy each year and pay about $716 million in taxes annually.

“Current conditions in Ukraine clearly merit the continuation of TPS status,” the senators wrote, arguing that Ukrainian nationals cannot safely return while the war continues.