SPOKANE — Ukrainian refugee Hanna Sylenko feels hope for the first time in months despite facing uncertainty about her family’s future in the United States.
Sylenko’s family moved to the U.S. in 2023 through the Uniting for Ukraine program, which was paused in January. More concerning, the work permits that came with the program recently expired.
“It was a really hard decision to come here because it is so far and we have our parents and a part of our family still in Ukraine,” Sylenko said.
The program suspension has left many Ukrainian refugees unable to work legally and uncertain about their ability to remain in the country.
“Three years ago, we lose everything — our homes, families. It’s because someone came and started to bomb the land, and now after three years, we lose everything because someone want to frozen the program,” Sylenko explained.
A recent letter from Congressman Baumgartner to President Trump addressing the situation has eased some of Sylenko’s fears.
“I really, really have hope with this letters which I wrote. And I really have the hope that the God in the sky see all this situation and help us to find a way and maybe to open the eyes in the government,” she said.
The congressman’s advocacy has not only brought Sylenko comfort but has empowered her to continue speaking out for refugee rights.
The Uniting for Ukraine program was established to provide temporary safe haven for those fleeing the war, which has displaced millions since Russia’s invasion began in 2022.
As the conflict continues, refugees like Sylenko find themselves caught between the impossibility of returning to their war-torn homeland and the uncertainty of their legal status in the United States.
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