US suspends ICE deportations to Ukraine, Russia, and neighboring European countries

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced Thursday that they are pausing deportations to Ukraine, Russia, and seven other European nations as a result of the continued invasion and war in Ukraine.

Two sources on the matter confirmed to CBS News that this temporary pause on deportation flights was put into effect.

Despite the high bar set during the ongoing crisis at the US - Mexico border, deportations to Ukraine and European countries range from only a few dozen to a couple hundred, per 2020 statistics.

The outlet also said that Congress was informed that ICE paused deportation flights to Belarus, Georgia, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, neighboring countries surrounding Ukraine.

An official statement from ICE given to multiple outlets said, "Amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis occurring in Ukraine, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has paused repatriation flights to Ukraine. ICE will continue to monitor the ongoing situation and make operational changes as necessary."

According to CNN, nearly 30,000 Ukrainians have been granted is Temporary Protected Status (TPS) on visas by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for all Ukrainians within the United States as of March 1, 2022. The designation lasts 18 months and is granted as Ukrainians have met the "extreme hardship" conditions required to invoke TPS.

A bipartisan group of US Senators brought forward the TPS suggestion at the beginning of this week.

The United Nations on Thursday said that more than one million people have fled Ukraine so far since the start of the Russian invasion. Associated Press reports further claims that "...up to 4 million people could eventually leave Ukraine, a country with a population of 44 million."

More than 500,000 Ukrainian refugees have fled to Poland, alone.

One of the main results of talks between Russia and Ukraine officials on Thursday was the agreement to establish a humanitarian corridor within Ukraine to allow for civilians to evacuate. Another anticipated aspect of this system is that it’ll allow for the transportation of essential food and medical aid within the warzone.