My name is Olena Watanabe. I am a Ukrainian-born resident of Ames, IA. This fundraiser is to help support Ukrainian refugees in our community who are being forced by the current administration to lose their work authorizations and are soon facing the inability to cover their living expenses.

Early this year, by order of the current administration, USCIS stopped processing applications for many legal immigrants, including Ukrainians who entered the US on a Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) program. While all of their immigration applications are being accepted, none are being processed. Currently, many individuals face their work authorization (EAD) expiring, some as soon as April 19th. Without valid work authorization, those people cannot even extend their driver's licenses that expire concurrently with work authorisation cards. All of them have pending applications with UCSIS, some for multiple work authorization categories (such as U4U and TPS), but none are being approved. Those applications were also costly - $470 per EAD application per person. In short, the current administration made it such that people spend their limited savings on applying for status renewals and EAD, only to be left in limbo, with their only way to earn a living about to be pulled from under their feet.

Ames Interfaith Refugee Alliance (AIRA) has been helping Ukrainian refugees since 2022 by offering help with rent expenses, language classes, appointments with state and federal organizations, organization of free legal clinics, interpreting services, and, most recently, costs of legal fees for asylum filings. Many Ukrainians may qualify for asylum based on the credible fear of persecution by the Russian government on occupied territories. However, work authorizations with a pending asylum case can only be obtained 6 months after applying (and processing of those applications is currently paused as well). AIRA intends to help Ukrainian refugees who will lose their work authorizations, but its funding is depleting rapidly.

This call is a fundraiser for AIRA. I will transmit all money collected to AIRA, who will then allocate money to Ukrainian refugees based on most need and in an equitable manner. The AIRA's treasurer's name is Diane Birt. AIRA is a registered charitable organization that helps all refugees in our community.

Here's a link to the article about the work AIRA does: https://www.amestrib.com/story/news/local/2025/02/11/over-50-ukrainian-refugees-in-ames-fear-changes-to-immigration-policy/78191849007/

Please help by contributing if you can and by sharing this fundraiser.