Last month Lead TSA Officer Patricia Vargas-Castaneda had no way of foreseeing that her actions would result in reuniting a Ukrainian family fleeing from a war-torn country and bringing them back together in the U.S.
After being called to assist an officer at the travel document checker (TDC) station, Vargas-Castaneda expected to resolve a routine issue with a passenger’s ID or boarding pass, but she encountered an entirely different situation. A Ukrainian man was desperately looking for help from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) or U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) but thought TSA at Grand Rapids’ Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR) might be the next best option.
The gentleman came to the U.S. from Ukraine as a Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) political refugee and was now stuck in the process of bringing his wife and son from their native country to join him. His family was stranded in Italy due to issues with his young son’s passport.
U4U is a USCIS initiative launched on April 21, 2022, after the U.S. announced a key step toward fulfilling its commitment to welcome Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s invasion. The program provides a pathway for Ukrainian citizens and their immediate family members outside the U.S. to come into the country and stay for a temporary two-year parole period. Ukrainians participating in U4U must have a supporter in the U.S. who agrees to provide them with financial support throughout their stay.
“When I arrived to the TDC podium and realized the distress and desperation on the individual’s face, I asked additional questions to better understand the situation,” said Vargas-Castaneda. “After realizing the time-sensitive nature of the situation, I felt it was my responsibility to help this individual in any way I could. I couldn’t imagine being in his shoes and not being able to reunite with my family because of a discrepancy with the paperwork after fleeing the war in Ukraine.”
Vargas-Castaneda fully committed to helping the gentleman any way she could and asked him for any documents or traveling forms he had for his family. After looking through the paperwork, Vargas-Castaneda immediately noticed the discrepancy between the birth month on the son’s passport and the date of birth on Form I-134.
Knowing GRR had no CBP or USCIS staff immediately on-site, Vargas-Castaneda reached out to her network, contacting Michigan TSA Assistant Federal Security Director for Law Enforcement (AFSD-LE) Chris Catone.
She relayed the man’s situation and the discrepancies with the son’s date of birth on the passport and Form I-134 and asked if Catone could help resolve the issue through either CBP or USCIS.
Catone immediately contacted USCIS and shared Vargas-Castaneda’s concerns. Based on the information Vargas-Castaneda provided, USCIS was able to take the steps needed to resolve the issues with the documents and reunite the family.
One week later, the gentleman texted Vargas-Castaneda and Catone a photo of his wife and son, saying, “Thank you very much for what you did for my family. There aren’t enough words in the world to say how grateful I am. We’re reunited only because of you. You didn’t give up on our situation, and now we are all here together after two years of war and three months of separation. Bless you and all around you.”
“The experience taught me that TSA’s mission and core values extend beyond the screening locations,” said Vargas-Castaneda. “It was definitely a reminder of the commitment we make as TSA officers when engaging with the public.
“I know that this specific issue wasn’t TSA’s responsibility. But when I saw the worry and concern on this man’s face for his family, I knew it was my responsibility as a TSA employee to provide whatever help I could. I’m so glad I had someone Catone could reach out to, and my heart is full knowing that the family is back together.”
By Jamie Aitken, Assistant Federal Security Director-Screening, TSA Michigan