Ukrainian Protection Act of 2022

Bill: 117-hr-6892
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Cicilline, David N. [D-RI-1]
Introduced: 2022-03-02
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Conflicts and wars

Europe

Foreign labor

Immigration status and procedures

Military operations and strategy

Refugees, asylum, displaced persons

Travel and tourism

Ukraine
Latest action: action_date: 2022-11-01
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.

Summaries:
action_date: 2022-03-02
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong> Ukrainian Protection Act of 2022 </strong></p> <p>This bill designates Ukraine as a temporary protected status (TPS) country for 18 months from the enactment of this bill. (Qualified nationals of a TPS-designated country shall have work authorization and may not be removed from the United States while the designation is in effect.)</p> <p>To qualify for TPS, a national of Ukraine must (1) meet certain admissibility and eligibility requirements generally required for such status, and (2) register with the Department of Homeland Security. </p>

tv_txt: I 117th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6892 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 2, 2022 Mr. Cicilline (for himself, Mr. Espaillat , Mr. Fitzpatrick , Mr. Quigley , Mr. Harris , and Ms. Kaptur ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To designate Ukraine under section 244 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to permit nationals of Ukraine to be eligible for temporary protected status under such section, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Ukrainian Protection Act of 2022 . 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) On February 24, 2022, Vladimir Putin launched a special military operation in Ukraine, and has since authorized hundreds of missile and artillery attacks against Ukraine and sent tens of thousands of Russian troops into Ukraine in an unlawful and unprovoked act of war. (2) On February 27, 2022, Vladimir Putin ordered his nuclear forces to be on high alert. (3) Conservative approximations estimate that hundreds of Ukrainians have been killed and thousands wounded as a result of Russian attacks, and that more Ukrainians will die or be severely wounded if Russia does not end its attack on Ukraine. (4) During ongoing Russian attacks on Ukrainian soil, millions of Ukrainian citizens have had to seek shelter in their homes, bomb shelters, and subway stations. (5) Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, almost 900,000 Ukrainian refugees have already fled the country to neighboring countries, such as Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia. (6) It is estimated that there will be up to 4 million refugees as a result of Russian attacks on Ukraine if the conflict continues to escalate. (7) Russian airstrikes against Ukraine have severely damaged residential buildings and key residential infrastructure in Ukraine, including major airports, a public square and opera house in Kharkiv, a hospital area in Vuhledar, and Kyiv’s main television tower, causing television broadcasts in Ukraine’s capital to temporarily cease. (8) On February 24, 2022, the U.N. Secretary General stated of the Russian invasion of Ukraine: The use of force by one country against another is the repudiation of the principles that every country has committed to uphold. … We know the toll of war. With deaths rising, we are seeing images of fear, anguish and terror in every corner of Ukraine. . (9) On February 24, 2022, the U.N. High Commissioner on Refugees stated of the Russian invasion of Ukraine: The humanitarian consequences on civilian populations will be devastating. There are no winners in war, but countless lives will be torn apart. . (10) On February 24, 2022, the UNICEF Executive Director stated of the Russian invasion of Ukraine: UNICEF is deeply concerned that intensifying hostilities in Ukraine pose an immediate threat to the lives and wellbeing of the country’s 7.5 million children. Heavy weapons fire along the line of contact has already damaged critical water infrastructure and education facilities in recent days. Unless the fighting subsides, tens of thousands of families could be displaced, dramatically escalating humanitarian needs. . (11) On February 26, 2022, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs released their first report on the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, noting that: Significant infrastructural damage has left hundreds of thousands of people without electricity or water, while bridges and roads damaged by shelling have left communities cut off from markets for food and other basic supplies. . (12) On February 24, 2022, the State Department issued a Travel Advisory Level 4: Do Not Travel. This advisory read, in part: Do not travel to Ukraine due to armed conflict and COVID-19. … On February 24, Russia’s forces attacked major Ukrainian cities, and the Ukrainian government closed its airspace to commercial flights due to Russia's military actions. … The security situation throughout Ukraine is highly volatile, and conditions may deteriorate without warning. U.S. citizens should remain vigilant and take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness. Know the location of your closest shelter or protected space. In the event of mortar and/or rocket fire, follow the instructions from local authorities and seek shelter immediately. If you feel your current location is no longer safe, you should carefully assess the potential risks involved in moving to a different location. . (13) While United States policy advises Americans that current conditions make it unsafe to travel to Ukraine, the same conditions make it dangerous and inappropriate to forcibly repatriate Ukrainians at this time. (14) Ukraine’s recent crisis and existing dangers to anyone located in Ukraine, which have been recognized by domestic and international actors, clearly make Ukrainian nationals currently in the United States eligible for temporary protected status under subparagraphs (B) and (C) of sections 244(b)(1) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (commonly known as TPS ). (15) There are more than 30,000 Ukrainian nationals residing in the United States who could benefit from TPS designation during this ongoing conflict. (16) TPS grants temporary protection from deportation to nationals of a country in which environmental or political events have occurred which make it temporarily unsafe to deport them. TPS has been granted to nationals of many countries due to ongoing armed conflicts in these nationals’ home countries. (17) TPS is appropriate and necessary to grant to Ukrainians in the United States given the ongoing violent conflict in Ukraine. 3. Designation for purposes of granting temporary protected status (a) Designation (1) In general For purposes of section 244 of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1254a ), Ukraine shall be treated as if such country had been designated under subsection (b) of that section, subject to the provisions of this section. (2) Period of designation The initial period of such designation shall begin on the date of enactment of this Act and shall remain in effect for 18 months. (b) Aliens eligible In applying section 244 of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1254a ) pursuant to the designation made under this section, and subject to subsection (c)(3) of such section, an alien who is a national of Ukraine is deemed to meet the requirements of subsection (c)(1) of such section only if the alien— (1) is admissible as an immigrant, except as otherwise provided under subsection (c)(2)(A) of such section, and is not ineligible for temporary protected status under subsection (c)(2)(B) of such section; and (2) registers for temporary protected status in a manner that the Secretary of Homeland Security shall establish. (c) Consent To Travel Abroad The Secretary of Homeland Security shall give the prior consent to travel abroad described in section 244(f)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1254a(f)(3) ) to an alien who is granted temporary protected status pursuant to the designation made under this section, if the alien establishes to the satisfaction of the Secretary of Homeland Security that emergency and extenuating circumstances beyond the control of the alien require the alien to depart for a brief, temporary trip abroad. An alien returning to the United States in accordance with such an authorization shall be treated the same as any other returning alien provided temporary protected status under section 244 of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1254a ).