Nowhere to turn: Ukrainian refugees in legal limbo
What happens when war refugees run out of time and options in the country that once welcomed them? This episode follows Ukrainian families now caught in legal limbo as their parole status expires.
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In this update episode, reporter Michael Standaert returns with a powerful follow-up on Ukrainian refugees living in North Dakota under the Uniting for Ukraine program. As the two-year parole period nears its end for many, families now face the threat of losing their legal ability to work and the looming question of whether they'll be forced to leave.
"They thought what they were getting into was a safe harbor where they could live and work until it was safe to go back. Now they’re mystified by how things have changed." – Michael Standaert, NDNC Reporter
From a mother trying to keep her son in high school to a man who fled Mariupol through minefields, these personal stories reveal the human toll of policy limbo. Host Sabrina Halvorson and Michael discuss what’s changed, what hasn’t, and how both refugees and their sponsors are grappling with a system offering few answers.