Temporary protective service, some know the toll of the war firsthand, not just from headlines

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Yana Ryepka says she never imagined leaving Ukraine.She and her family left Kyiv after Russia’s full-scale invasion, walking away from their home, jobs and the small business she built in search of safety for their three children.“We didn’t plan to leave our country at all, and when the war started, we had three children, and the third one was 4 months,” Ryepka said.Now in the United States, her temporary protected status, is about much more than paperwork.“It gives us the ability to work legally. It gives us our driver’s license, and we can pay our bills and help our families,” she said. “That’s why it’s really important to us because we are trying to rebuild our lives here.”The uncertainty around the future of TPS for Ukrainians doesn’t just affect families. It also weighs on local businesses that depend on Ukrainian workers.In the past 18 months, immigrant entrepreneur Iuliia Danilovets and her husband have launched three businesses, including a European food