Tamila Vashchuk and her husband, Mykola, are minor celebrities in their corner of Ohio. The Ukrainian couple have appeared on local magazine covers and morning TV shows, built a successful pierogi food business, and met with the governor. Mykola, a recent law graduate from Cleveland State University, hopes to take the bar exam. Most Sundays, they volunteer at their local church.
Family faces deportation after seeking medical care for son
But now, the family faces an immigration court hearing that could see them deported back to Ukraine, where they would struggle to treat their son’s illness and face Russia’s escalating assault. Four years ago, Tamila noticed their 10-year-old son was not growing as expected. “His appetite was so low. He was not gaining weight,” she recalls.
Facing high medical costs in Ohio, Tamila and her son temporarily returned to Kyiv for affordable health assessments. Before leaving, she repeatedly visited the US Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Cleveland and called Customs and Border Protection officials at Cleveland airport, receiving assurances that their humanitarian parole stamps would allow re-entry without issues. “We were told repeatedly that due to the humanitarian parole stamps in our passports, we would be re-admitted to the US without any issues,” she says.
Removal orders issued at Boston airport
However, when they returned through Boston Logan International Airport in December 2022, they were immediately issued removal orders for allegedly violating parole terms by leaving the US. “The officer said: ‘Technically, you have broken the parole.’ Our brains were absolutely melted,” recalls Mykola, who does not face deportation as he entered the US only once.
Tamila and her son now face a court hearing, initially set for late June but rescheduled for August, that could lead to custody and deportation. “I have two master’s degrees. We know this country. We love this country,” Tamila says. “We just want to stay here.” If deported, their son’s health—he requires daily refrigerated medication for a hormonal deficiency—would be at significant risk.
Cleveland immigration court known for high denial rates
Several judges at Cleveland’s immigration court are noted for being unforgiving. TRAC, a research center at Syracuse University, found that Cleveland immigration judges have denied asylum applications at rates exceeding 70% for years. The judge assigned to the Vashchuks’ case has the highest asylum denial rate in the court and one of the highest nationally. Additionally, ICE agents regularly detain people at the court.
Questions sent to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) about whether deportation is excessive given health risks and the conflict in Ukraine were not directly answered. A DHS spokesperson stated: “In December of 2022, Tamila Vashchuk and her son … attempted to illegally re-enter the US through Boston, without valid travel documents. They were admitted to the US in June of 2022 under the Uniting for Ukrainians humanitarian parole program but traveled outside of the US without permission and without valid travel documents. They both will receive full due process, pending the outcome of their immigration proceedings in August.”
Russia’s attacks make treatment nearly impossible in Ukraine
Russia’s targeting of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has reduced electricity generation capacity by 50% due to near-nightly bombing, making it nearly impossible to keep the son’s medication refrigerated if deported. There are also no steady supplies of the medicine. “The doctor was saying that the supply in Ukraine is unreliable, and he has to take it until he is 18,” says Mykola. “In our apartment building, there is no electricity, no fridge, no heating, no water.”
Broader challenges for Ukrainians in US
The Vashchuks are not alone. Temporary protected status (TPS) for an estimated 103,000 Ukrainian nationals is set to end in October. The Trump administration froze the Uniting for Ukraine program, which allowed over 235,000 people fleeing the war to enter the US. Trump has frequently criticized Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russia’s assault has escalated, with dozens killed and hundreds injured in recent attacks in Dnipro, Kyiv, and Kharkiv.
Human rights groups are calling on the Trump administration to extend immigration resources for Ukrainians. A February report by Global Refuge, a Maryland-based non-profit, found that “Country conditions in Ukraine continue to meet the statutory requirements for TPS, including armed conflict and other extraordinary conditions that affect the ability of nationals to safely return.” The US Department of State has categorized Ukraine as a “level four: do not travel” country due to active ground combat and attacks on civilian infrastructure.
While the Uniting for Ukraine program prevents deportation, Mykola says immigration judges have discretionary authority “and can make whatever decision they deem appropriate. I don’t know what’s going to be in the judge’s mind.”
Cleveland’s Ukrainian community and economic contributions
Cleveland has historically been home to one of the largest Ukrainian communities in the US, growing since the early 1900s. Since Russia’s invasion, the community has grown by several thousand, fueling cultural festivals. “We work in the public school systems and we have seen every single Ukrainian student graduate on time and every single one be accepted into post-secondary education programs,” says Patrick Kearns, executive director of Re:Source Cleveland, a non-profit working with immigrants in Cuyahoga county. “They have worked incredibly hard when they get here. They’ve been nothing but a boon to our economy. It’s unfortunate to see that our policies haven’t kept pace with where they were when we [first] welcomed these folks several years ago.”
Kearns says the bipartisan Ukrainian Adjustment Act, which would give certain Ukrainians a pathway to permanent residency but has failed to gain traction, should be moved forward. “We’d like to see a comprehensive approach. They are an asset to the community,” he says.
The looming threat of deportation has made it impossible for the Vashchuk family to invest in or plan for their food business. Their production business in Kyiv is on life support due to the war. They petitioned to have removal proceedings dismissed, but that was denied. “We have appealed for help from local politicians but heard nothing back,” says Mykola. “We have parents in Kyiv, and they say this is the worst it’s been.”
