Hundreds of Ukrainian refugees in North Dakota are losing their legal right to work as their two-year humanitarian parole status expires, potentially forcing them back to war-torn Ukraine. The Trump administration paused all humanitarian parole programs in February. While Ukrainians can apply to stay longer under temporary protected status, this doesn’t include work authorization. Among those affected is 27-year-old Yaroslav Riazanov, a Fargo truck driver who will lose work eligibility in mid-June, and families already living off savings while awaiting decisions on their applications. Many refugees fled devastating conditions in occupied cities like Mariupol and fear returning to Ukraine where their hometowns remain under attack. The 600 to 800 Ukrainians who settled in North Dakota through the program now face an uncertain future as their legal status expires.
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