Minneapolis, MN
Ukrainian workers at landmark Minneapolis restaurant seek answers after Trump halts work permit renewals
Thousands of Ukrainians who’ve settled temporarily in Minnesota fear that they may soon have to return home, even as Russia’s assault on their country continues. That’s because the Trump administration has stopped renewing work permits for people who came to the United States under a Biden-era humanitarian program.
The concern is especially high at Kramarczuk’s deli and restaurant in northeast Minneapolis, a cornerstone of the city’s Ukrainian community known for its stuffed cabbage, pierogies, sausage and other eastern European delicacies.
Wasyl and Anna Kramarczuk started the business as a butcher shop after leaving Ukraine during World War II. For decades, people newly arrived from the former Soviet Union and its satellite countries have worked at Kramarczuk’s, where they’ve been able to earn a living, learn English, and assimilate to American culture.
“Kramarczuk’s has been an incubator for immigrants and refugees from eastern Europe for 70 years,” said Orest Kramarczuk, the founder’s son. “Besides the food and the history here, our primary mission was to help a lot of the immigrants and refugees from eastern Europe.”
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“I found my job on my first day in the USA,” said Anastasiia Onyshchenko, who came to Minneapolis from Kyiv in 2023. Onyshchenko, 23, said that she loved her job, which included boosting Kramarczuk’s social media presence.
But Onyshchenko’s employment came to an abrupt halt last week. Onyshchenko said that in the fall, she applied for an extension to her two-year work permit but never heard back from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
“Work permits aren’t being extended, and every day more and more people are losing their right to work,” she said.
Onyshchenko is among around 240,000 people who came to the U.S. through a program called Uniting for Ukraine, or U4U, which former President Joe Biden launched soon after Russia’s 2022 invasion. An estimated 2,600 people have settled in Minnesota, according to the state’s Department of Human Services. Biden began the program under a provision in immigration law known as humanitarian parole. But after the Democrat left the White House in January, Republican President Donald Trump ordered a stop to all parole programs on his first day in office.
From left, Daryna Kalenska, Viktoriia Pashchyn and Anastasiia Onyshchenko found jobs at Kramarczuk’s deli and restaurant in northeast Minneapolis after fleeing Ukraine during Russia’s invasion.
Matt Sepic | MPR News
Trump’s order doesn’t mean that Ukrainians living in the U.S. have to leave immediately. But the nonprofit Ukraine Immigration Task Force said authorities are not accepting extension applications, and Ukrainians who applied after October may not get an answer from the government until or unless the streamlined extension process resumes. USCIS did not respond to a request for comment from MPR News.
Daryna Kalenska started at Kramarczuk’s after arriving in Minneapolis late last year. Her work permit is good through September of 2026, but Kalenska, 20, said the uncertainty over shifting immigration policy worries her.
“I have a lot of time to work, but I don’t know what will happen tomorrow,” Kalenska said. “Maybe this program will be canceled. And I don’t know. What should I do in this situation?”
Viktoriia Pashchyn, who grew up in a village near Ternopil, came to the United States in late 2023. Pashchyn, 24, said she likes Minneapolis because the cost of living is lower than in larger cities and she was able to find a job quickly. Pashchyn said Kramarczuk’s helped her get settled.
“They helped us with temporary homes, with documents, and other stuff,” she said.
Under current rules, Pashchyn is able to work at the restaurant through September but said that she has been unable to extend her permit.
Twin Cities immigration attorney Evangeline Dhawan-Maloney said humanitarian programs such as Uniting for Ukraine are discretionary, and who’s admitted depends on who’s in the White House.
“The laws give the president broad authority to parole individuals into the United States,” she said. “One administration can choose to parole more individuals and another could, as we’re seeing now, scale that back significantly.”
Dhawan-Maloney said that the U4U program does not include a path to citizenship or permanent residency. And while the Ukrainian workers at Kramarczuk’s might be able to apply for asylum, she said the bar for getting it is high.
Nick Kramarczuk is general manager of the business his grandparents started after moving to the United States from Ukraine during WWII.
Matt Sepic | MPR News
Nick Kramarczuk, the general manager of the business that his grandparents founded in 1954, said the temporary employees make up about a third of his staff and have brought a youthful energy that’s been a boon to the restaurant’s authentic Ukrainian identity.
“They’re passionate about their culture and their food, which benefits us,” Kramarczuk said. They have new ideas, they have different ways of doing things and I’ve learned so much from them. And I think it’s pretty clear from talking with them that they’re dealing with a lot.”
Kramarczuk said he’s looking for certainty from the Trump administration about his employees’ futures because they deserve the same opportunities that his grandparents had. And even though many of the workers hope to return to Ukraine when there’s a lasting peace, Kramarczuk said for now, they deserve to be in America.
On Saturday, people gathered at Bethune Park in Minneapolis to celebrate Juneteenth.
“The energy is electric. Everybody out here is having so much fun,” said Andrew Kuria, who was helping his aunt, a vendor.
Fun with meaning and a purpose of celebrating a holiday close to many hearts.
“Juneteenth,” said Imani Waters, who was singing at the event. “Emancipation, and Black people just being able to celebrate our history.”
Community organizers started the Minneapolis tradition in 1982, filling a gap at a time when many didn’t know about the holiday. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation board hosted Saturday’s event, featuring music, food and vendors like Mary Kuria, who’s originally from Kenya.
“Since I’m from Kenya, I thought I could find some people to make stuff for me and then I can bring it here,” said Mary Kuria, who owns Shiro’s African Boutique.
The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture says although the Emancipation Proclamation freed African Americans in rebelling states Jan. 1, 1863, it wasn’t until June 19, 1865, when it was actually fully enforced with the Union army.
“We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the African Americans who were brought here as slaves,” said Mary Kuria. “They actually made a stepping stone for a lot of us, especially Africans, to be able to come here.”
When it comes to 2026: “I think we’re doing better. I think we can improve in certain areas. I know we have a lot of grey areas, but hey, there’s always room for improvement,” said Karla Nelson, who attended the event.
“We’ve come a long way and we have a long way to go,” Waters added.
“It’s a reminder that change can happen,” Andrew Kuria told WCCO.
Juneteenth became a federally recognized holiday in 2021. Minnesota followed suit in 2023, giving the day off to state workers. Wisconsin does not.
After being called to Golden Valley Road on a reported shooting, Minneapolis Police say they are investigating a homicide.
According to Minneapolis Police, officers were initially called to the 2700 block of Golden Valley Road around 2:30 a.m., where callers reported a shooting had occurred.
After first responders arrived, police said a man in his 40s had approached paramedics at the scene requesting help after he sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. He was taken to the hospital for further treatment
Officers learned the man’s injuries may have been connected to a ShotSpotter activation which occurred in the 1400 block of Golden Valley Road.
After officers investigated the 1400 block, they were flagged down by an injured woman who had a non-fatal gunshot injury. She was also taken to the hospital for treatment.
As officers continued to search the area, they located a third shooting victim, a woman in her 30s who was pronounced dead at the scene.
At this time, police are still investigating the incident and have not announced any arrests in connection with the shooting.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Metro Transit’s E-Line is marking six months on the road, and business owners are weighing in on the changes it has brought to their neighborhoods.
E-Line brings new riders and renewed business
What we know:
The E-Line, Metro Transit’s eighth bus rapid transit line, launched in December and runs from Southdale to the University of Minnesota. It replaced the Number 6 bus and features enhanced stations with better lighting, security cameras, real-time bus information and ticket machines.
Metro Transit reports the E-Line is averaging about 5,600 rides a day, which is roughly twice the number they expected. “The E-line has been a real success. People want service that’s fast, frequent and reliable, and you get all those things when you do something like this on the E-line,” said Drew Kerr, Metro Transit spokesperson.
Syril McNally, who owns Doug Flanders and Associates Fine Art Gallery near 50th and France, says the area has bounced back since construction ended. “We’ve had a lot of new people come in who have never been here before, and that have wanted to come for quite a while. So yeah, it’s absolutely helped people reach us,” said McNally.
Some business owners at 50th and France and in Linden Hills reported their revenues dropped 40% to 60% during construction of the new bus stops and other improvements. But Metro Transit says the upgrades have helped attract more riders to the line.
‘It’s absolutely worth the pain’
The backstory:
The E-Line’s construction caused headaches for some shop and restaurant owners in south Minneapolis and Edina, with significant revenue drops during the work. However, the hope was that the new transit line would bring more people to the area once finished.
McNally believes the short-term pain was worth it for the long-term gain. “We have artists who depend on the bus, so for that reason alone absolutely. I think it’s great if it helps more people get to where they need to go. It’s wonderful,” said McNally.
What they’re saying:
Business owners and Metro Transit both say the E-Line has helped bring new customers to the 50th and France area and made it easier for people to visit shops and galleries.
The improvements to stations and increased ridership are seen as a positive sign for the neighborhoods served by the E-Line.
Metro Transit says a new bus rapid transit line will debut in St. Paul next year, and more lines are being developed for the future.
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