Advocates and employers say federal delays in renewing work permits are causing many Ukrainians in the Sacramento area to lose their paychecks, as expired Employment Authorization Documents can’t be quickly replaced. Businesses report cutting shifts or laying off affected workers, while community groups warn the backlog is putting some families at risk of housing instability, undermining the progress they made after fleeing the war and resettling in the region.
Vlad Skots, co-chair of the Ukrainian American House and a local business owner, told ABC10 he has had to let workers go because their permits were not renewed in time. The station reports other local Ukrainians, including Olesia Redko, whose renewal has been pending for about a year, have watched their work authorization applications sit for months. ABC10 also notes advocates estimate that thousands of people across the Sacramento metro area are caught in the same bureaucratic traffic jam.
Why permits are stuck
The holdup traces back to a broader federal pause and a months-long backlog in adjudications that began in early 2025, when agencies launched a review of categorical parole programs and tightened vetting. National coverage and legal analyses say U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services placed an administrative pause on some re-parole and related benefit filings, creating a queue of I-765 work permit renewals that has yet to be cleared.
Guidance from legal observers notes that a simple receipt notice for a renewal filing does not by itself restore work authorization, which has left many employees and their bosses in legal and financial limbo. CBS News has described the administrative pause and its ripple effects on applicants, and legal analysis from Gibson Dunn along with other immigration outlets has tracked how EAD and Temporary Protected Status timing has left some families without clear options.
Local fallout and community response
Community organizations in the region have stepped in with rent assistance, legal referrals and employment advocacy as delays pile up. The Ukrainian American House, which runs local resettlement and outreach programs, has been cataloging affected cases and coordinating support for families whose income has suddenly dropped.
Skots has also launched a public petition urging federal officials to extend or automatically renew work permits for Ukrainians in the Uniting for Ukraine program. The petition, hosted on Change.org, has drawn thousands of signatures from supporters calling for a quick fix. Local reporting indicates that many families are already skipping shifts, draining savings and pushing off bills while they wait for decisions that could restore their pay.
What lawmakers are doing
Dozens of members of Congress have publicly urged the Department of Homeland Security and USCIS to move faster on outstanding Uniting for Ukraine cases and to adopt measures that preserve work authorization while filings are processed. A July 31, 2025 congressional letter led by members of the Ukraine Caucus asked agency leaders to prioritize re-parole and employment authorization decisions for parolees, a push that includes lawmakers from both parties.
Rep. Marcy Kaptur’s office and other congressional statements lay out proposed administrative fixes that lawmakers say would prevent immediate job and housing losses for families who entered under the U4U program.
What this means for workers and employers
Employers are hemmed in by federal I-9 rules and often separate employees whose authorization documents have expired in order to avoid penalties, even when everyone expects new cards to arrive. Immigration guidance explains that automatic extensions and category-specific protections are limited, and in many situations human resources staff cannot legally restart pay until a new EAD has been issued.
Practical guidance and legal alerts emphasize that the receipt for a renewal filing does not universally restore work rights, a technicality that has already led to layoffs and reduced hours at smaller businesses that say they are struggling to keep enough staff. See reporting and analysis from Gibson Dunn and related industry coverage summarizing EAD timelines and employer obligations.
For now, local advocates say any immediate relief will likely come from a mix of short-term financial assistance, intensive casework by immigration attorneys and federal action to clear the backlog or extend valid work authorization while cases are decided. Community groups in Sacramento continue pressing agencies and lawmakers for a solution as families and employers brace for more missed paydays.
