Open the U.S. to Ukrainian Refugees
5,431 signatures toward our 30,000 Goal
Sponsor: The Hunger Site
The Biden Administration said the U.S. would accept 100,000 refugees from Ukraine, but millions more need help.
The Biden Administration announced that the U.S. would accept 100,000 refugees from war-torn Ukraine1. These refugees are facing great uncertainty , with many unable to enter the country until 20232.
Only 12 Ukrainian refugees were settled in March 20222 but appointments for Ukrainians to interview for a U.S. visa are booked out through September, most which will be refused. Other options such as the Family Reunification immigration process currently have a wait time of about 15 years3.
This is little help for the more than 3.7 million people who have fled Ukraine4.
Even direct relatives of those with U.S. citizenship are being barred from seeking refuge in the U.S. because of the limited number of refugees allowed5.
These refugees are leaving everything behind. For many, that includes fathers, husbands, and sons who they may never see again6.
President Biden has made stated that he would "welcome Ukrainian refugees with open arms," but has yet to do something about it7. Lawmakers have proposed solutions, such as offering Humanitarian Parole, which have yet to come to fruition.
It is our duty as Americans to provide comfort to those without. Sign the petition and tell the Biden Administration to remove the cap on Ukrainian refugees and give these families hope for the future.
- Jarrett Renshaw and Ted Hesson, Reuters (24 March 2022), "U.S. to welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainians fleeing war amid broader aid effort."
- Ted Hesson and Kristina Cooke, Reuters (11 April 2022), "Explainer: Why did the United States resettle only 12 Ukrainian refugees in March?."
- Susie Armitage, The Guardian (26 March 2022), "Red tape and long waits: US visas remain out of reach for Ukrainian refugees."
- Katie Teague, CNET (26 March 2022), "More Than 3.7 Million Ukrainian Refugees Have Fled the Country. Here's How to Help."
- Ted Hesson and Kristina Cooke, Reuters, (22 March 2022), "U.S. plans to allow in more Ukrainians after few refugees admitted."
- Justin Spike, The Times of Israel (9 March 2022), "1 million children leave behind lives, friends as they flee Ukraine war."
- Jacob Knutson, Axios (11 March 2022), "Biden: U.S. to welcome Ukrainian refugees "with open arms"."
The Petition:
To the President of the United States and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS),
More than 3.7 million Ukrainians have fled their country hoping to escape the horrors of war. Many of them were forced to leave everything behind, some even left sons, husbands, and fathers, who they may never see again.
There is currently no official Ukrainian Refugee Program in the U.S. for Ukrainian families to come to the United States—even for those who have immediate family members as U.S. citizens or residents or official sponsors. Further the number of Ukrainian refuges allowed into the U.S. has been capped at 100,000.
This is not much help when millions more are in need.
It is our duty as Americans to provide comfort to those without. President Biden has stated multiple times that he would "welcome Ukrainian refugees with open arms." It's time to put those words into action.
I ask you to remove the limit on the number of Ukrainian refugees who will be allowed to resettle in the U.S. and give these people hope for the future.
Sincerely,
