SACRAMENTO, Calif. — President Biden on Thursday announced Uniting for Ukraine, a new streamlined process to provide opportunities for up to 100,000 Ukrainians and others fleeing Russia's invasion to come to the United States.
It comes as the UN estimates nearly 5 million Ukrainian refugees have fled the country, and as families in the U.S. have grown more desperate to bring their loved ones to America.
"When I came home, the last thing they said to me was, 'Please don't leave us here,'" said Dominic Biles, of Tracy, who traveled last month to Germany in an attempt to bring home his two sisters-in-law and two nephews from Ukraine.
"It weighs on my heart," Biles said.
The government's announcement Thursday gave his family hope that they will be reunited in California.
Biles' in-laws are among the millions of Ukrainian refugees taking shelter in countries across Europe.
“This is the fastest-growing and one of the largest refugee crises we are seeing in Europe since the Second World War," said Shabia Mantoo, spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
UC Davis Law Professor Raquel Aldana said that the humanitarian parole status offered under the program will get more people out of the war zone.
"It’s a good step in the right direction. Is it enough? It’s not," Aldana said. "It’s better than nothing, it allows you to work in the US, but it will not provide a path to legalization."
Biles said he planned on putting in an application first thing Monday morning when the process officially opens up. He knows there will be more challenges ahead, but his first priority remains to bring his loved ones to California, first.
"Anything we need to do, we can figure it out once they're here," he said.