She built a life in St. Louis. Now she may be deported
By By Charlie Brennan – , St. Louis Business Journal
Yuliia Korol, a Ukrainian veterinarian, faces deportation when her work authorization expires Oct. 19.
Korol pays taxes, maintains a 790 credit score, and works at Southwick Veterinary Hospital in South County.
The St. Louis region ranks last in growth among top 50 U.S. metros and cannot afford to lose workers.
The checkout line at Costco in University City was long. I was looking at my iPhone and didn’t notice a gap had formed in front of me. The woman behind me with a foreign dialect kindly asked me to move ahead.
“Are you from Russia?” I asked her.
“Ukraine,” she replied.
“Oh, it’s great to have you here.”
“I’m being deported,” she said.
The woman is 33-year-old veterinarian Yuliia Korol, who fled her country four years ago. In Kyiv, her war-torn neighborhood lacked water and electricity. Explosions occurred around her without notice as the government’s warning system of incoming Russian missiles was faulty.
Korol made her way to Poland, and then to St. Louis where she has a cousin. Even though she holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Ukraine, she heals cats, dogs, rabbits and the occasional chinchilla as at vet tech at the Southwick Veterinary Hospital on Lemay Ferry Road in South County.
Korol shops at Schnucks and Costco. She is a member of the Missouri Botanical Garden. She receives no food stamps or other government benefits. She pays for health insurance through her employer.
She speaks English fluently, as well as Ukrainian and Russian. She understands Czech and Polish.
Korol pays federal, state and Social Security taxes. I was surprised to learn she has already paid over $2,300 for her temporary passport applications and employment permits. Her credit score is 790, well above our national average. She has no violations of the law, according to online court records.
Korol has a Missouri driver’s license and a laminated work authorization card.
They both expire on Oct. 19, 2026.
Even though she received Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a designation for foreigners who need to escape armed conflict, TPS for Ukraine citizens expires Oct. 19, according to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Korol also came here under a program called Uniting for Ukraine (U4U), permitting her to live here pending two-year renewals. But when President Trump took office last year, he paused U4U renewal applications.
She has re-applied for these programs. She has heard nothing.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Thus, Korol may be forced to return to Kyiv. According to the Sept. 11 to 18 edition of The Week magazine, “The Kyiv region was under near-constant attack this week, as Russia launched wave after wave of drones, (hitting) warehouses, homes and cars…killing at least 37 people.”
Other countries like Canada and Australia are closed to new immigrants from Ukraine.
The St. Louis region can’t afford her loss. According to Saint Louis University researcher Ness Sandoval, the St. Louis metro ranks dead last in growth among the top 50 U.S. regions posting population gains. For the first time ever, our region will enter the 2030 Census with deaths exceeding births.
Meanwhile, every corner of the country is experiencing a severe veterinary care worker shortage. Legislatures in Wisconsin, Virginia and Ohio are trying to address the crises.
Korol’s place of work, Southwick Veterinary Hospital, is owned by Vet Care Partners. Its managing partner, Sumit Dhawan, tells me, “We have invested substantial time in Yuliia's training and professional development because we believe in her capabilities and her future. Her loss would create a significant operational gap for our organization that would be extremely difficult to replace.”
As for Korol, she tells me at the Panera in Kirkwood that she does not sleep very well. Her countenance is serious. These days are “difficult.” Aside from the war, there are no jobs in Ukraine. Many power plants are not working ahead of a cold winter.
She is in contact with Jordan Blase and Kris Le, who work in the office of her congressman, Wesley Bell. They encourage her to call every other day.
I can’t help but think of Mark Vittert, co-founder of this newspaper. He wrote in this space of his family immigrating here from Ukraine. Our leaders used to think immigrants benefited our country. Families like Mark’s proved them right.
Who loses if Korol is deported? Korol. Her animal hospital and its clients. Her landlord. Costco. Schnucks. The Missouri Botanical Garden. The Social Security Trust Fund.
