(Radio Iowa) – A northwest Iowa woman recently joined delegates from across the country in Washington, D.C., to urge continued U.S. support for Ukraine. Martha Hulshof, of Ireton, helped bring 150 Ukrainians to Sioux County since the Russian invasion in 2022, while her sister is a missionary there. Hulshof says some Ukrainians fear being sent back, and others can’t hold jobs because of expired paperwork.
“They want that stability back. They can come here. They want to work. They want to live,” Hulshof says. “Now they’re fearful of, ‘Oh, will I get my job back?’ ‘Can I get my papers?’ ‘Can I work?’ Will I get picked up by ICE?’ But yeah, they’re very, very fearful.” Hulshof says one of the Ukrainians who originally came to Iowa was picked up by ICE in Minneapolis — then released — after authorities confirmed they were in the U.S. legally.
Hulshoff attended the Ukraine Action Summit in Washington last week to lobby lawmakers. The group is pushing for stronger sanctions, continued aid, and the return of abducted children. “We need to stand with Ukraine,” she says. “We need to continue to be light and help them as Americans, help the refugees and also continue to pray for the war to end.”
Hulshof met with lawmakers including U.S. Senator Joni Ernst. She says Senator Chuck Grassley continues to support the Abducted Ukrainian Children Recovery and Accountability Act. He introduced the legislation last year. It supports Ukraine in investigating and tracking 20,000 children taken during the Russian invasion.
