Austin Chronicle: Lloyd Doggett Urges Biden to Help Ukrainian Refugees

U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, partially inspired by conversations with Ukrainians at the Texas State Capitol, is broadening his focus during the Ukrainian crisis from sanctioning Russia to urging the Biden administration to cut red tape for refugees coming to the U.S. Sixty-four members of Congress – mostly Democrats and a handful of Republicans – signed on to Doggett's April 6 letter to President Joe Biden.

The Biden administration has already designated Temporary Protected Status to Ukrainians who arrived in the U.S. before March 1, meaning they cannot be deported to Ukraine, but families who arrived any later are still at risk of ejection. Last month, Doggett met one such late-arriving family in Austin at a Capitol protest against Russian attacks.

The administration also announced March 24 that the United States would accept up to 100,000 Ukrainians fleeing harm through "the full range of legal pathways," including the refugee admissions and regular immigration processes. Doggett and signed-on members of Congress now ask that the administration hasten processing for Ukrainians abroad who already qualify for immigration benefits, and that there be additional resources to U.S. embassies and consulates across Europe to more quickly process immigrant visa applications for eligible Ukrainians.

The letter also asks that immigration fees be waived, lest they block Ukrainians from entering the U.S. These include a $535 per beneficiary cost to file an I-130 petition for a family-based visa, a $325 immigrant visa application fee, a $120 Affidavit of Support fee, and a $220 fee for processing an immigrant visa packet.

"In facing this humanitarian crisis and the devastating effects of this war, we must use every tool in our toolkit," the letter said, "knowing that each [refugee] represents someone fleeing devastation, whose life and future may depend on how rapidly paperwork is processed."