Ukrainian family who fled to OC worries immigration policy changes will force them to uproot again

ORANGE, Calif. (KABC) -- A Ukrainian family who fled their war-torn country and resettled in Orange County is worried about their future as the deadline for them to stay legally in the country approaches rapidly.

At nearly 2-years-old, Nicole is the latest member of the Gladushko family and she's their only U.S.-born citizen. Her father, Oleksandr, said when his family fled Ukraine in 2022, they felt welcome in America.

"I choose the country just because it is welcome us as a safe place with a friendly community and friendly society," Oleksandr Gladushko said.

A couple in Orange sponsored him, his wife Tetiana and their son Dymytrii, through Uniting for Ukraine, or U4U. The Biden-era program allowed Ukrainians fleeing the war to enter the U.S. on humanitarian parole.

It included permission to stay and work in the country temporarily. Tetiana and Dymytri were able to gain Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, which offers similar protections under a program established back in 1990, but Oleksandr's application remained pending as of Friday.

The family's future is now in limbo, with their individual permissions to be in the country set to expire in April.

"All of them are pending and my driver license is expired as well on April," Gladushko said.

Whether the applications will be granted and renewed remains unknown.

That's because the Trump administration has several humanitarian parole programs on hold and is considering revoking temporary protections for thousands of Ukrainians like the Gladushkos.

With their toddler knowing the U.S. as her only home and their teenager thriving in school here, this mixed-status family hopes everything falls in place by April.

Though they didn't know where home would be in the next few months, where it won't be remains clear.

"Unfortunately, it is not Ukraine. Maybe someday we'll return back to Ukraine, but I should be sure that it is safe for myself, for my family for my kids, safe enough."

The Gladushkos said they've stayed in contact with their sponsors.