For millions of people in Ukraine, February 2022 marked a life-altering turning point as Russian forces launched a full-scale invasion and some towns fell under occupation. Homes were destroyed, communities fractured, and futures were rewritten overnight. Families fled with little more than hope, searching for safety in unfamiliar lands, unsure when — or if — they would ever return home.
When the war intensified, the United States opened its doors through the Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) humanitarian parole program, offering Ukrainians a chance to rebuild their lives in safety. Since then, LSSNCA welcomed and supported 465 Ukrainians, helping them access housing, healthcare, legal assistance, and employment support so they could rebuild and move toward self-sufficiency.
But in 2025, policy changes reshaped that promise. The program was scaled back, limiting support for new arrivals and leaving many Ukrainians already in the United States facing uncertain futures. Delays in renewing humanitarian parole began placing families at risk — work permits expiring, legal status hanging in limbo, and the terrifying possibility of deportation growing closer.
For Anastasia, a LSSNCA program participant, uncertainty is not new. Displacement has followed her for more than a decade. A mother of three daughters, she has rebuilt her life more than once. Her hometown is now under Russian occupation — a place she cannot safely return.
Anastasia and her family fled to Romania, believing their stay would be temporary. They left their belongings behind, certain that life would soon return to normal. Instead, months turned into years.
“We loved our life in Ukraine,” Anastasia recalls. “The children loved their school. We were happy. We thought we would go back.”
But the war did not end.
While in Romania, Anastasia discovered she was pregnant. Fear and uncertainty consumed her — how could she raise a child in exile, without stability, without knowing what would come next? Her husband found work, and the family stayed together, but opportunities were limited and the language unfamiliar.
Then a new possibility emerged. Anastasia’s sister-in-law, a U.S. citizen, offered to sponsor them through the U4U program. Five months later, the family arrived in the United States. Anastasia gave birth to her third daughter shortly before leaving Romania — carrying both new life and deep uncertainty across continents.
They settled in Frederick, Maryland.
“When you arrive in a new country, you feel blind,” Anastasia says. “Even if you can read, you don’t understand how the system works. You need someone to guide you.”
That guidance came through LSSNCA.
Medical care was their first priority. Anastasia’s husband depends on insulin, and early healthcare access was lifesaving. A case manager helped enroll their children in school and connect the family to essential services. Slowly, step by step, they began rebuilding.
But stability did not come easily.
Finding housing was a struggle without credit history. The family stayed with relatives for four months before finally securing their own apartment. Anastasia, an interpreter, paused her career to care for her newborn, while her husband found employment in finance. Eventually, both were working, contributing, and standing on their own.
Legal guidance became just as critical.
“There are many people trying to make money from our situation,” Anastasia explains. “Understanding our rights is very important. The legal support we received [from LSSNCA] was invaluable.”
Still, fear lingered.
The children had finally adapted — learning English, making friends, building a sense of normalcy after years of disruption. But their future remained uncertain.
“We want to return home one day,” Anastasia says. “But it is not safe — especially for children. If we are forced to leave, where do we go? We cannot return to war.”
After our first conversation with Anastasia in June 2025, we spoke with her again in February 2026 – her life looked stable on the surface, but uncertainty remained.
She now works from home as a healthcare interpreter, choosing her hours while caring for her children. Her husband remains employed. They pay taxes, support themselves, and continue building a life rooted in resilience and determination.
But their humanitarian parole expires in June.
Applying for renewal is expensive — more than $10,000 for their family of five — and delays could cost them their legal status, their work permits, and their ability to remain in the country safely.
“We came here legally,” Anastasia says quietly. “I don’t understand the delays. People lose their jobs while waiting. If our status expires, we may have to leave.”
Returning to Ukraine is not a real option. Her hometown remains occupied.
If forced to return, the family would face freezing temperatures, unstable infrastructure, and the daily fear of violence. “The stress of sending your children to school not knowing if they will come back safely — I cannot put them through that again,” she says.
Still, gratitude and hope remain.
“We are thankful to this country for allowing us to live and work here,” Anastasia says. “We still believe our situation is temporary. One day, when it is safe, we will return home. Until then, we just hope for time — time for the war to end, and time for our children to live without fear.”
As we commemorate the fourth anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine, which led Anastasia and many others to leave their homes and seek safety in the United States, here is how you can help:
- Donate to LSSNCA and help us continue serving Ukrainians and community members seeking safety in the United States
- Contact our development team to sponsor a non-LSSNCA program participant access legal assistance.
