“She Can’t Go Home” – CBS Denver

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (CBS4)– For the past week, Colorado Springs mom, Mary Wells has been searching for answers.

“I’m just blown away by how I can help her now,” Wells said.

(Credit: Mary Wells)

Wells and her family have hosted a 16-year-old Ukrainian exchange student since August, but the ongoing crisis in Ukraine brings an uncertain future, not only for the student but also for the student’s family who remains in Crimea. Wells has asked us to hide the student’s identity for security reasons.

“We’re trying to figure out what to do because she can’t go home,” Wells said. “Right now they’re actually stuck there, their parents and brother, because they’ve blocked all the borders and won’t let them in or out.”

Wells is currently seeking legal counsel for her student, and she’s not the only one wondering what that could mean for Ukrainians in the US

“I’ve received so many messages and calls that right now it’s a crazy mess trying to get loved ones out of Ukraine and into the US,” said Ilona Starchak, owner of Starchak Immigration Law Firm, PLLC.

(Image credit: CBS)

Startschak is Ukrainian. Her father is still in the country, so she resonates with many families who turn to her. Starchak told CBS4 that since the war began, she has received more than 200 requests ranging from visa extensions to humanitarian paroles. There are even people in Ukraine asking for their help.

“It’s absolutely horrific there,” Starchak said. “Everyone feels helpless, they don’t know what to do. You are desperate.”

And Wells feels a little bit of that desperation. While her exchange student has a flight back to Ukraine in May, she probably won’t be able to catch it. Wells hopes her student’s J-1 visa will be extended. She has recently contacted the exchange program as well as the US Embassy and US Citizenship and Immigration Services. She is also looking for an attorney who may take her case pro bono. But until then, the family can wait.

(Credit: Mary Wells)

“She needs strength, she needs a parent, and she doesn’t have one to wrap her arms around,” Wells said.