NORTH DAKOTA – As hundreds of Ukrainian immigrants await temporary work visa renewals to continue earning paychecks in North Dakota, Senator Kevin Cramer believes the Trump administration needs to make an effort to reassure them that they’re still wanted in the U.S..
The U4U program was created in 2022 during the Biden administration when Russia invaded Ukraine.
It offers work visas lasting up to two years for Ukrainians to escape their home country and work in the United States.
But many are experiencing a slow, delayed renewal process.
Listen: Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on ‘What’s On Your Mind?’
“What I think would provide some room…would be a blanket statement from the administration that says while we’re doing this, there’s no need to run back to a war zone,” Cramer told The Flag.
Cramer says it would “give them some pause” during a process that the Republican does acknowledge is needed.
“[The administration should say] we’ll get through this, stay close but we can’t give a determination until there’s a full vetting.”
Cramer’s GOP colleague, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, also told The Flag he wants a “rational immigration system” that benefits both the worker and the employer.
“The idea of sending these people back who would be productive runs counter to what we’ve been doing in the past. We’ve taken all the bad people in and sent out the good people. That’s not rational,” said Graham.
