A Sarasota family that fled Kyiv after Russia’s full-scale invasion is among the local Ukrainian households waiting to learn what comes next for Temporary Protected Status. Yana Ryepka, who arrived with her husband and three children, including a four-month-old, says TPS is what allows her family to work legally, drive, and pay their bills while they rebuild. Federal officials say protections remain in place while they weigh the program’s next steps.
The uncertainty reaches into the local economy. Iuliia Danilovets, an immigrant entrepreneur running three businesses on the Suncoast, employs about eight workers who rely on TPS. She says replacing them would be difficult given their language skills and experience. Immigration attorney Lisette Sanchez advises Ukrainians not to assume the status is permanent and to seek legal counsel about asylum and other pathways.
For Ryepka, the war is not a distant news story. She knows its toll firsthand, and the life her family is piecing together here depends on decisions made far from the Suncoast. Do you know a Ukrainian family or business owner affected by this? Share your story in the comments.
