ARVADA, Colo. (KDVR) — Kostiantyn Mukhin and Eugenia Karkina are passionate advocates for Ukrainian culture. Their deep-rooted pride in their homeland inspired them to launch food trucks in Colorado, where they serve the comforting Ukrainian dishes they cherished growing up.

“We began with just a tent at a local farmer’s market,” shared Mukhin, the proprietor of Sunflower Ukrainian Foods, with KDVR.

Despite their love for Ukraine, the couple harbors a fear of being forced to return to a country still embroiled in conflict, as their immigration status remains uncertain.

After escaping the turmoil in Kherson, Ukraine, Mukhin and Karkina, along with their daughter, made their way to Colorado in the summer of 2022.

“We seized this chance because at least here, it’s a peaceful place,” explained Karkina.

They’re among the 240,000 Ukrainians who came to America during the war through a program that gave them temporary legal status here and the right to work. 

“Because of what was demolished (back home in Ukraine), we had to start from zero (here in America). So being able to work was like a blessing,” Karkina said.

But some of the temporary protections that brought Ukrainian refugees to America are set to expire. And Mukhin and Karkina say they have no guarantees their status will be maintained. 

“If people have been in drastic situations like us, we can apply for asylum. But all of the programs are on pause. So our asylum (application) is still pending, (and has been) for a year and more,” Karina said. 

If their application for asylum is eventually denied, their right to work here would be revoked, meaning there’s a fear they could have to go back to the war zone. Last month, US Senators sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Joseph Edlow, Director of U . S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, asking them to fast-track pending applications. 

Mukhin and Karkina hope it works. They’ve created a new livelihood and built a new life in Colorado. 

“I think this winter, we’ll build two more trailers and try to get our first employees,” Muhkin said.

Now they just hope they can call Colorado home long-term. 

“We were part of really active community (in Ukraine). We want to be part of it here, and to provide more, and to make this community here even prosper more. We just need to be given an opportunity to do it,” Karkina said.