Trump administration prepares to deport about 80 Ukrainians - WP
Kyiv • UNN
The Trump administration is preparing to deport Ukrainians by issuing final orders for their return to their homeland. The first to be deported could be 41-year-old Roman Surovtsev, and in total, about 80 people are involved.
The Trump administration is preparing to deport some Ukrainians, issuing final orders for their return to their homeland, as the government seeks to increase deportations and Ukraine strengthens its relations with Washington.
This is reported by UNN with reference to The Washington Post.
Details
The US Department of Justice announced that 41-year-old Roman Surovtsev may be the first to be deported to Ukraine in the near future. According to lawyers, immigration services may be preparing to remove a "significant number" of Ukrainians, with some detainees being told they could be sent on "military flights to Ukraine or Poland."
Ukrainian Ambassador to the US Oksana Markarova stated that about 80 people are involved, for whom final deportation decisions have been made "due to violations of US law."
The Ukrainian authorities, according to an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, are ready to accept the deportees. "The US can deport as many as they want. We will find a good use for them," the adviser said on condition of anonymity.
Surovtsev's lawyers state that Ukrainians risk being sent without the possibility of appeal.
Federal Judge James Hendrix upheld Surovtsev's deportation order, noting that he could also be sent to Russia or a third country if Ukraine refused to accept him. He also indicated that Ukraine is currently "more inclined to cooperate with the United States." Another judge, Ada Brown, temporarily blocked the deportation but later reversed her decision.
Surovtsev has lived in the US since childhood, started a business, and is raising two children. He has repeatedly expressed fear of returning to Ukraine. On Thursday, according to lawyers, ICE tried to remove him but eventually returned him to the detention center.
Mr. Surovtsev will not only face a high probability of being killed by Russian forces… he will also face a high probability of persecution by Ukrainian authorities
Recall:
A federal appeals court ruled that President Donald Trump's use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport migrants was inadmissible. Deportation under wartime laws is currently illegal in the US.