This story has been updated with a statement from Catholic Social Services.
A bill providing temporary guest status to Ukrainians and immediate family members already in the U.S. is being co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), the first Republican to join Democratic senators backing the proposal.
The Protecting Our Guests During Hostilities in Ukraine Act was introduced Monday, the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) as the primary sponsor. Six other Democratic senators signed on as initial co-sponsors, prompting Durbin to make a cross-party plea.
“Not a single Republican has cosponsored this bill,” he said in a prepared statement Monday. “I urge them to join us to ensure Ukrainians legally present in the U.S. have temporary guest status until conditions in Ukraine are safe for return. Standing up to dictators and speaking out for victims of war should not be a partisan issue.”
Under the Biden administration both Republicans and Democrats petitioned the president to shield Ukrainians from deportation, Durbin said.
The bill would provide temporary guest status through the “Uniting for Ukraine” parole process. It would allow Ukrainians to stay and work in the U.S. until the Secretary of State determines that 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,” Murkowski said in a prepared statement Thursday announcing her co-sponsorship of the bill. “These families—and the Alaskans and Alaskan businesses who have supported and employed them—have expressed their strong desire to remain and work here.”
The individuals covered by the bill underwent vetting to ensure that they present no criminal or public safety risks. The legislation would also allow the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to revoke this temporary status if new information raises such concerns about any individual.
Ukrainian refugees attending a “Know Your Rights” training led by the American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska on Feb. 20 expressed concern about their status in the U.S. Their humanitarian parole expires after two years, an end quickly approaching for some. A refugee who chose to remain anonymous said that since coming to Juneau, he has graduated college and found both a job and a love for Alaska’s wilderness.
“Catholic Social Services is grateful to Senator Murkowski for co-sponsoring the Protecting Our Guests During Hostilities in Ukraine Act and recognizing the valuable contributions of Ukrainians in Alaska,” Catholic Social Services, the only refugee resettlement agency in the state, wrote in an email to the Juneau Empire on Friday. “Ukraine remains unsafe for our clients to return home to, and Senator Murkowski’s efforts to protect individuals fleeing violence and war align with the Catholic social teaching on life and human dignity. For both humanitarian and economic reasons, creating pathways for Ukrainians to remain in Alaska is essential to our state’s wellbeing.”
• Contact Jasz Garrett at jasz.garrett@juneauempire.com or (907) 723-9356.
