A Ukrainian family living in Eden Prairie that fled Russia’s war in Ukraine is preparing to voluntarily leave the United States as their humanitarian parole expires. Serhai and Liza Ponomarenko came to Minnesota with their young daughter, Zlata, through the Uniting for Ukraine program. Their daughter enrolled in Eden Prairie schools, the family learned English and Serhai started a plumbing business. Serhai told CBS Minnesota that the family fears remaining after their legal status expires, citing the treatment of immigrants during Operation Metro Surge. They plan to stay in Europe temporarily while determining where they can legally live next. The Trump administration suspended new entries through Uniting for Ukraine after taking office, leaving many Ukrainians already in the U.S. facing uncertainty as their temporary protections expire.
