More than 100 of the roughly 1,000 Ukrainian refugees living in Alaska have left the state after President Donald Trump paused a temporary stay program last year.
In January, Alaska’s Republican congressional delegation urged an extension of status for some Ukrainians, and Gov. Mike Dunleavy sent a letter to Trump, Anchorage Daily News reported.
“Alaska is facing a persistent and well-documented labor shortage. At the same time, we are preparing for a period of significant infrastructure and resource development that closely aligns with your program to strengthen America’s energy capacity and national self-sufficiency,” Dunleavy wrote to Trump.
He said those projects will require a reliable, skilled workforce.
“Ukrainian refugees currently residing in Alaska provide an immediate and practical solution,” the governor argued.
From a purely economic standpoint, he added, keeping this workforce benefits Alaska businesses that already employ them. “It helps ensure on-time completion of major infrastructure projects and reduces reliance on costly out-of-state labor. More broadly, it reinforces the American tradition of encouraging lawful work, self-sufficiency and contributions to the national interest,” Dunleavy wrote in his appeal to the White House.
Despite some reports of humanitarian status extensions for certain Ukrainians in Alaska through 2028, others are still awaiting decisions on applications filed months ago.
Zori Opanasevych, director of the nonprofit New Chance United, which helps Ukrainians resettle in Alaska, said she asked the governor to advocate for Ukrainians in the state, citing their work ethic and readiness to fill jobs as Alaska increasingly relies on newcomers to meet labor needs.
Opanasevych said she hopes Ukrainians in Alaska receive broad relief that lets them continue working, noting the state’s pressing need.
David Rittenberg, chief program officer at Catholic Social Services, which assists refugees arriving in Alaska, said 678 Ukrainians in the state currently hold humanitarian status. Over the past year, 119 Ukrainians have left Alaska.
Late last year, Alaska’s congressional delegation sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem asking that Ukrainians be allowed to remain in the state as long as the war in their country continues.
Tatyana Robbins, president of the nonprofit Project Alaska, which supports Ukrainian refugees, said there has been “encouraging progress” since the start of the year. Those who applied to extend their humanitarian status this year have received extensions through 2028. “This sends a clear signal that Ukrainians are expected to remain in the United States for the foreseeable future, and we are very grateful for this progress,” she said.
On March 6, 2025, White House sources said the Trump administration planned to strip roughly 240,000 Ukrainians of temporary legal status and expedite their deportation.
The move was part of broader steps targeting millions of migrants who received humanitarian protections during Joe Biden’s presidency.
The loss of status affected not only Ukrainians but also citizens of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Afghans who fled after the Taliban takeover. At the time, the Department of Homeland Security made no official statements, and the White House and the Ukrainian Embassy did not respond to requests for comment.
In August, it emerged that the end of the Uniting for Ukraine humanitarian program could leave thousands of Ukrainian refugees without legal status.
In November 2025, 50 Ukrainians who had fled to the US returned home via the Shehyni checkpoint on Ukraine’s border with Poland.
