WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski has announced that she has joined as a cosponsor of the Protecting Our Guests During Hostilities in Ukraine Act, which would provide temporary guest status to Ukrainians and their immediate family members who are already in the United States
Those individuals would be eligible through through the “Uniting for Ukraine” parole process.
The bill allows Ukrainians to stay and work in the U.S. until the Secretary of State determines that hostilities in Ukraine have ceased and it is safe for them to return.
“I have had the opportunity to visit with many Ukrainians who fled Russia’s unprovoked war who have found safety and community in Alaska. These families—and the Alaskans and Alaskan businesses who have supported and employed them—have expressed their strong desire to remain and work here,” Murkowski said. “Granting temporary guest status for Ukrainians already in the United States achieves this goal. As the war enters its fourth year, we must continue to provide the Ukrainians who have taken refuge in the U.S. a safe haven to weather the storm.”
According to Murkowski’s office, individuals covered by the bill have already undergone vetting to ensure that they present no criminal or public safety risks.
The legislation would also allow the Department of Homeland Security to revoke this temporary status if new information raises such concerns about any individual.
