A Ukrainian national who gained entry into the United States through President Joe Biden’s “Uniting for Ukraine” program has been arrested by federal authorities after attempting to use an explosive device to kill a police chief.
NEW: A Ukrainian national welcomed into the U.S. in 2023 via the Biden administration’s “United for Ukraine” humanitarian parole program has been arrested by ICE in New York, as ICE says he is wanted in Ukraine for trying to use an explosive device to murder a police chief, as… pic.twitter.com/3n4UVFkaXu
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) February 27, 2026
The Biden administration granted entry to Mykola Zhytnichenko in March of 2023, just months before Ukrainian officials would issue a warrant for his arrest for his alleged crimes.
The Biden administration intended the Uniting for Ukraine program to allow displaced individuals to gain a two-year humanitarian parolee status in the United States after the outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian War in 2022. U.S. officials claim that Zhytnichenko abused the program to evade prosecution in his home country.
“Through close collaboration with both domestic and international partners, ICE Homeland Security Investigations was able to bring a dangerous fugitive — charged with attempted murder, narcotics trafficking, and organized crime — to justice," said Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan in a press release. "Our actions send a clear message: The United States will not tolerate fugitives seeking to evade justice for their grave crimes abroad. HSI remains dedicated to serving as a critical partner in safeguarding both national and international security.”
Zhytnichenko is currently being held in a detention facility in Buffalo pending an order of removal.
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