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The Department of Homeland Security announced it will grant temporary protected status to Ukrainians in the US for 18 months.
Ukrainians applying for the status must have been living in the US by March 1. Those who arrived in the US after that date will not be eligible, the DHS said.
“Russia’s premeditated and unprovoked attack on Ukraine has resulted in an ongoing war, senseless violence and Ukrainians forced to seek refuge in other countries,” DHS chief Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement.
“In these extraordinary times, we will continue to offer our support and protection to Ukrainian nationals in the United States.”
The 18-month designation will go into effect on the publication date of the coming Federal Register notice, the DHS said.
Democratic and Republican members of Congress have urged President Joe Biden's administration to grant Ukrainians temporary protected status.
“This invasion has caused a humanitarian crisis with significant numbers of individuals fleeing and damage to civilian infrastructure that has left many without electricity or water or access to food, basic supplies, shelter and emergency medical services,” Mr Mayorkas said.
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has already suspended deportations to Ukraine, citing a “humanitarian crisis".
More than 2.1 million people have fled Ukraine since the invasion began a week ago, the UN has said.
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The Empire State Building in New York lights up with the colours of Ukraine in a show of solidarity. Photo: Empire State Building -
Zac Haycock stands in front of the Utah State Capitol, which is lit in blue and yellow in support of Ukraine. AP -
The I-35W Bridge glows blue and yellow in support of the people of Ukraine in Minneapolis, Minnesota. EPA -
Demonstrators hold flags and a sign during a 'Stand with Ukraine' rally in front of the White House in Washington. Reuters -
Protesters gather at Town Square in Jackson, Wyoming, to show solidarity with Ukraine amid the Russian invasion. Several of the protesters were native Ukrainians with family in the country. AP -
People protest outside the UN in New York against Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Reuters -
US first lady Jill Biden wears a mask with a sunflower, the national flower of Ukraine. AFP -
An American flag unfurls off a pedicab as it glides past the Denver City/County Building, which is illuminated in yellow and blue in support of Ukraine. AP -
Kristina Ulyanenko protests the Russian attack on Ukraine at the state capitol in Austin, Texas. AP -
Flowers and messages are piled together outside the Ukrainian embassy in Washington. AP -
The Paramount Miami Worldcentre skyscraper in Florida lights up blue and yellow. Paramount Miami Worldcentre via AP -
A store in Lewiston, Maine, programmed its 11-metre light tower to dance through a series of blinking yellow and blue lights that eventually come together to form the colors of the flag of Ukraine. AP -
Joni Ernst, a Republican senator from Iowa, wears a brooch in the colours of Ukraine during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing at the US Capitol. EPA -
Protesters listen to speakers as they gather for a rally in support of Ukraine at the Utah Capitol in Salt Lake City. AP -
Dmytro Stasyshen of Ukraine holds a sign to protest the Russian invasion during a rally in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles. AP -
Evergy Plaza in Topeka, Kansas, will be lit in blue and yellow lights. AP -
People dine inside Veselka restaurant where a Ukrainian flag hangs in the East Village in New York. AP
