Barnes & Thornburg, City of South Bend to Provide Legal Assistance to Ukrainians for Temporary Protected Status on June 2

SOUTH BEND – Barnes & Thornburg, in collaboration with the City of South Bend, is offering assistance to Ukrainian citizens who are seeking Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and to Ukrainian parolees in the U.S. pursuing employment authorization in the wake of the Russian invasion of their home country.

Barnes & Thornburg attorneys will convene in the law firm’s main conference room on Thursday, June 2, 2022, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (Eastern) to provide pro bono legal services to Ukrainian citizens. Barnes & Thornburg is located at 201 S. Main Street, Suite 400, in downtown South Bend.

“Our community continues to step up and make South Bend a welcoming home for all,” South Bend Mayor James Mueller said. “I am grateful for Barnes & Thornburg’s generosity and leadership by offering pro bono legal services to provide Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ukrainians in need of safe haven in our community.”

Due to the ongoing military conflict in Ukraine, the U.S. is offering temporary humanitarian protection to some Ukrainian citizens. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the TPS designation for Ukrainian citizens with continuous residence in the U.S. since April 11, 2022, and continuous physical presence in the U.S. since April 19, 2022. TPS applicants must meet all eligibility requirements and undergo security and background checks. In addition, Ukrainian citizens paroled into the U.S. may be eligible for employment and authorization during their parole period. 

“Barnes & Thornburg is always looking for ways to support the needs of our community,” said Michael Durham, an immigration attorney and partner in the firm’s South Bend office. “We recognize that this global conflict may have ripple effects for cities and towns in Northern Indiana where Ukrainian citizens may seek refuge for a period of time. We stand ready to help those in need.”

TPS is a temporary benefit that does not lead to lawful permanent resident status or give any other immigration status. During a designated period, individuals who are TPS beneficiaries or who are found preliminarily eligible for TPS upon initial review of their cases:

• Are not removable from the U.S.
• May obtain an employment authorization document (EAD)
• May be granted travel authorization

Once granted TPS, an individual also cannot be detained by DHS based on immigration status in the U.S. 

With more than 700 attorneys and other legal professionals, Barnes & Thornburg is one of the largest law firms in the country. The firm serves clients worldwide from offices in Atlanta, Boston, California, Chicago, Delaware, Indiana, Michigan, Minneapolis, New York, Ohio, Raleigh, Salt Lake City, Texas and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit us online at www.btlaw.com or on Twitter @BTLawNews.