So Alex and their grandmother have petitioned immigration officials to bring her here under an old but little-known provision called "humanitarian parole."

Of 6,718 requests for humanitarian parole received by the government since January 2000, officials say, 5,253 were rejected and 1,465 approved.

Earlier, she said, she won humanitarian parole for two other Ukrainian children in similar circumstances.

Learning of the case from a Russian-language newspaper last year, Ms. Matiychenko saw it as perfect for humanitarian parole.

He hired a lawyer, who requested humanitarian parole for Ms. Cruz.

Occasionally, they can grant 'humanitarian parole', but they have to obey the law.

To date, the immigration service has received 281 applications for humanitarian parole; it has approved 143, rejected 8, and the rest are pending.

He could have gone straight from there to the United States, which was offering an arms-open-wide welcome called "humanitarian parole."

The family was allowed to stay on humanitarian parole, and settled in the Bronx.

If your child has already been granted humanitarian parole, please click here.