WATERTOWN, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – The Watertown community is rallying support for one of its newer families. A local church, sponsoring a family who fled Ukraine, is facing a new threat: the shock of asylum status removed and orders for the family to leave within days.
After fleeing their lives in war-torn Ukraine, the Biliaze family is grateful for the welcoming community in Watertown.
“We feel at home here,” Valerii Biliaze said.
“Kind, every time. Uh, want to help us. Anything,” Ilona Biliaze said.
Valerii was eager to support his family.
“After three days, I go work. Oh yes, very good,” Valerii said.
They lived with the Buhler family for ten months. Their church paid for the plane trip and all living expenses.
“They wanted to pay, but we said no, you’re restarting your lives, you need to save that money,” Susan Buhler said.
And they did. In ten months, $45,000 was in their savings account.
They welcomed their first US-born child, a baby boy. Their teenagers settled into school. Even Ilona embraced her new life.
“Ilona is the first woman in her family to ever drive a car, and she passed the test on the first try,” Buhler said.
Just when it all was coming together, it fell apart with a letter from US Immigration: their asylum was denied.
Then their appeal was denied. They have to be out of the country by August 17.
There is no criminal background for either Ilona and Valerii.
“To come here to be on this sponsorship for the USCIS program, they have to be completely vetted,” Buhler explained.
Back in Ukraine, their home is destroyed, the land sold out from under them, and is under Russian control.
They believe it’s too dangerous to return to Ukraine.
If they absolutely have to leave, they said Canada would be a consideration.
“Canada will be better,” Ilona said.
Compared to the US in 2025, Canada plans to welcome nearly triple the number of student and temporary worker visas. They’ll almost double the number of permanent residents compared to America.
A spokesperson for South Dakota Voices for Peace, a non-profit that includes an immigration attorney, shared a statement with Dakota News Now.
“This is proof that this administration is feeding the public a false narrative of securing our borders from dangerous criminals. People who are fleeing wars and who have legally entered our country through programs called humanitarian parole – like United for Ukraine- have either been terminated immediately or paused causing fear and panic for victims of war on what their future holds. The impact of programs being terminated immediately is hundreds of thousands of people who were here legally yesterday are now illegally here today. This is not keeping America safe it is showing us how inhumane this administration really is.”
“Ilona keeps saying this is our home, we want to stay here. Crying out is the only thing we know to do now,” Buhler said.
Dakota News Now has contacted the family’s immigration attorney and will update this story with their response when it becomes available.
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