After the start of the major war between Russia and Ukraine in 2022, the American authorities began accepting Ukrainian refugees under the “United for Ukraine” (U4U) humanitarian program. It allowed American citizens and companies to become sponsors of Ukrainian refugees, who in turn received the right to live and work in the United States for two years. After two years, the legal status can be renewed.
As part of the U4U program, about 280,000 Ukrainians entered the United States. But when Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025 and began tightening immigration policies, new applications under U4U stopped being accepted, and the legal status of old applications began to be selectively renewed. “On paper, protections for Ukrainians are still in place, but now ICE [Иммиграционной и таможенной полиции США] “There are broad powers to detain anyone.” male CNN Yulia Bekbova, a Ukrainian-American attorney for immigration and international law.
One of those detained was 34-year-old Xenia, who together with his wife Darina came to the United States in 2022 under the U4U program (the couple asked CNN not to indicate their last name). Two years later, Xenia and Darina applied to extend their legal status. As for Darina, it was extended almost immediately, but Xenia’s case remained pending for more than a year, until he was detained by ICE in November 2025. The couple tried to appeal Xenia’s deportation to Ukraine, fearing that in that case he would be transferred to the front, despite his health problems. In March 2026, Xenia agreed to leave the United States voluntarily. After that, he and Darina did not communicate with the CNN journalist.
The Russian authorities continue to block everything that can be banned. Dear everyone who reads us from outside Russia, we promise that Meduza will remain close to your family and friends! We overcome obstacles ourselves every day and help our readers do the same. And we will not stop. In the near future, Meduza will tell you how to maintain access to information securely. And you, please, help us survive. Sign up to donate to Meduza, together we will survive!
Ruslan, 26, another U4U refugee who chose not to give his last name, also took the opportunity to leave the United States voluntarily when asked to do so. Thus, he avoided deportation to Ukraine, where, like Xenia, he would have been threatened with being sent to the front. Now Ruslan is in Poland.
He said he was arrested in the United States during a roadside search. The documents were in order, but his legal residency under U4U was simply cancelled. The US Department of Homeland Security, which oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement, told CNN it has the authority to do so. “The war was expected to end and [люди, въехавшие по U4U]will come back. The program was not designed to obtain permanent residency or a visa. “The Ukrainians should have been allowed to wait until the war ended,” added lawyer Yulia Bekbova. No one explains why the program stopped performing this function, despite the war continuing.
“If they want people to leave, they can, for example, say: ‘We don’t want you to stay here, the U4U program is about to close, and this is the deadline for leaving.’ Then people will leave naturally, instead of going through all this,” said Katerina, Ruslana’s girl. According to her, she is only happy that she and Ruslan do not have children, otherwise it would be more difficult to survive when they leave.
34-year-old Anton Smovj found himself in exactly the situation that Katerina feared. He also entered the United States under the U4U program and was deported to Ukraine after being accused of sexual violence (the charges were dropped shortly before the deportation; Smovj himself categorically denies them). After him, his Ukrainian wife had to leave with their young son, who was born in the United States. “My son is an American citizen, and in fact he was also deported because my wife cannot work with a young child in her arms,” Smofj told CNN.
The interview was conducted from Kyiv. Upon his arrival in Ukraine, he underwent a short medical examination and was sent to a training camp to prepare for participation in the war with Russia. But Smovage left the military and, as CNN wrote, “is now trying to keep a low profile.”
On one of his deportation flights was 28-year-old Vladimir Dudnyk, a tattoo artist from Ukraine who entered the United States in 2019 on an exchange visa. He then obtained a student visa, but it was cancelled. Dudnick subsequently requested asylum and received permission to live and work in the United States while his case was pending. He has been convicted several times of violating traffic rules and rioting. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested him in court in Pittsburgh, where he was scheduled to appear at a hearing on a charge of driving without a driver’s license or insurance.
“When I was sitting on the plane to Ukraine, I understood what was waiting for me,” Dudnik said. “But I was hoping that they would at least let me go home first. Everything happened faster than I thought. I never got to go home, and I still haven’t seen my parents.”
After crossing the Ukrainian border, he went to a training camp, then spent several more weeks training as a drone operator. He is now fighting in eastern Ukraine, where his colleagues have given him the call sign “America.” According to Dudnik, after learning he was being deported to Ukraine, his family and friends suggested he run away – just as Smovj had done. But Dudnik refused, saying: “I saw a lot of soldiers’ graves here. It shocked me. At that moment I told myself that I will not desert, I will fight.”
It was not mentioned how many Ukrainians were expelled from the United States after Trump returned to the White House. Dudnyk and Smovj were sent home on a deportation flight on November 17, 2025. Traveling with them were 43 other men and five women, all Ukrainian citizens. The Ukrainian State Border Service told CNN that of the 45 men who arrived, 24 were wanted as draft evaders – and were immediately transferred to the conscription center.