(MENAFN) Around 200,000 Ukrainians currently residing in the United States may be at risk of losing their lawful status due to Washington’s intensified border-security measures, according to a news agency.

Internal U.S. government records cited by the news agency indicate that this vulnerability stems from slow progress in processing extensions for a major humanitarian initiative.

The relief program—originally introduced by the previous U.S. administration shortly after the Ukraine conflict intensified in February 2022—enabled approximately 260,000 Ukrainian refugees to enter the country for an initial two-year term.

Earlier this year, President Donald Trump suspended both new applications and renewal procedures as part of a broader halt on several nationality-based humanitarian pathways, pointing to heightened security worries.

In March, Trump mentioned that he was contemplating fully rescinding Ukrainians’ legal protections, though he ultimately left the program intact. Renewal processing resumed in May, but the pace has remained extremely slow.

Immigration authorities have managed to handle only 1,900 renewal requests for Ukrainians and other groups since then—an extremely small portion of those whose legal status is nearing expiration, the news agency highlighted.

Former immigration officials warned the news agency that individuals awaiting renewal outcomes could face detention by federal authorities once their current status lapses.

Across Europe, enthusiasm—both among the public and within political circles—for hosting Ukrainian refugees has steadily weakened.

Just last month, the European Commission formally informed Kiev that the existing temporary protection arrangement will not be prolonged past its current endpoint.

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