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Baumgartner, in bipartisan letter, asks Trump to continue protections for Ukrainian refugees

U.S. Rep. Michael Baumgartner, left, takes a selfie with Ukrainian refugees Kristina Skadovsk and Ivanna Petrukha in March at Thrive International in Spokane. (COLIN MULVANY/The Spokesman-Review)
By Orion Donovan Smith orionds@spokesman.com(202) 853-2524

WASHINGTON – Rep. Michael Baumgartner on Monday asked President Donald Trump to preserve protections for the estimated 240,000 Ukrainians who have fled the Russian invasion of their country to live in the United States.

The Spokane Republican led a bipartisan group of House lawmakers who signed a letter to the president after the Department of Homeland Security on Friday mistakenly sent emails to Ukrainian refugees, telling them that a status called humanitarian parole had been revoked and they had to depart the United States immediately, warning that if they didn’t, “the government will find you.” The White House said in a statement to CBS News that the message was sent in error and that the parole program hasn’t been terminated.

Many of those Ukrainians – including about 2,900 who live in Spokane County, according to Baumgartner’s office – have already been bracing for such an order as the Trump administration has signaled that it will end temporary protections for refugees.

“Our Ukrainian friends have a legitimate basis for refuge and have followed the legal processes to seek protection in the United States,” Baumgartner and 15 other lawmakers wrote. “Many of them have found employment, pay taxes, have their children enrolled in school, and are positively contributing to their new communities. Revoking their protections and sending them back to a war-torn country before peace is secured would be devastating for both them and their families.”

Washington state is home to a large Slavic community, including many Ukrainians who moved to the United States before and after Russia invaded parts of Ukraine in 2014 and launched a full-scale invasion eight years later. About 30,000 Ukrainians have arrived in the Evergreen State since the start of the war in 2022, according to Baumgartner’s office.

“Continuing protections for Ukrainians currently residing in the United States is not only a matter of humanitarian responsibility but also a reflection of our commitment to supporting those who have fled violence and destruction,” Baumgartner said in a statement. “Revoking these protections while the war remains unresolved would be devastating, both for individuals who have sought refuge and for the broader moral obligations we have as a nation.”

The other lawmakers who signed the letter are Democrats Lloyd Doggett of Texas, Betty McCollum of Minnesota, Gerry Connolly of Virginia, Scott Peters of California, Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, Brad Schneider and Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, Tom Suozzi and Dan Goldman of New York, Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania and Sarah McBride of Delaware; and Republicans Doug LaMalfa and Young Kim of California, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Mike Lawler of New York.