U.S. to welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainians fleeing Russian invasion

The U.S. will welcome up to 100,000 people fleeing Russian violence in Ukraine, using a variety of legal pathways to allow them to enter the country, a senior Biden administration official said Thursday.

Some of those allowed into the country will come as refugees, but the U.S. will also permit others to seek parole status or immigrant on non-immigrant visas, the official said, without defining a timeline for the arrivals. The official suggested people fleeing the conflict could come to the U.S. over the course of several years.

The move comes as more than 10 million people in Ukraine have been forced from their homes and more than 3.4 million have fled the country, including 2 million who arrived in Poland.

President Joe Biden is in Europe for a string of summit meetings, including with NATO and Group of Seven allies, focused on managing the crisis in Ukraine and deepening sanctions on Russia.

The official said the U.S. is committed to protecting LGBTQ people and those with medical needs that have been disrupted by war, but added that the administration expects most of those who fled will want to stay in Europe, close to Ukraine and large Ukrainian populations with the hope of eventually returning home.