The Butenko family has adjusted to life in rural Alaska quickly.

Natali and Oleksii moved to Delta Junction with their seven children from Ukraine three years ago.

They chose this place to join relatives.

Speaking Russian: Speaking Russian: Roughly 120 Ukrainians have settled in the Delta Junction area in recent years, a significant number for a place with about a thousand residents.

Many of them, including the Butenko family, use the United for Ukraine program.

It allowed them to come to the US with the help from a local sponsor.

The program stopped accepting new applicants in January following an order from President Trump, Speaking Russian: Even before Russia invaded Ukraine, Delta Junction already had strong Slavic roots.

People from former Soviet Union countries have been settling here since the early 90s.

Ukrainians specifically make up a much larger share of the Delta Junction area than the rest of the state.

The Slavic influence is reflected in local stores and in places of worship.

"We think that the Holy Spirit today is amongst us!"

Denis Khatman, a local contractor and an immigrant himself has found employees through the church community.

I think everybody who comes here, they looking forward for that better life, you know, and this is what America provides.

He like, you know, hey, you want to work, you will get it.

So that's why we are here.

We want to, you know, to raise up America and have a better life.

The Delta Greeley School District has opened its doors to about 30 Ukrainian students who immigrated since the war started.

The district has been expanding support for them, offering English as a second language, classes, translation services and after hours tutoring.

Longtime English teacher Amanda Turnbull has been working with Ukrainian students and witnessing their rapid growth.

I feel absolutely blessed, absolutely honored to be these kids teacher.

Turnbull says.

If the families of her Ukrainian students don't have a legal pathway to stay in the country, her whole ESL class of ten would be empty.

She says the loss would create a hole in the community and could endanger some of her students.

Yeah, it hurts my heart so much to think of, these high school boys who would.

Who could at the drop of a hat, get supported and and are back in Ukraine.

They can't leave again.

These ninth graders can't leave again.

What's going to happen to them?

They're going to get conscripted.

Natalia Butenko doesn't want to go back to Ukraine or see her children go to war.

She'd like to keep putting down roots in her new community when it's absolute Speaking Russian: Speaking Russian: The family recently bought a piece of land to build their future home in Delta.

Two stories just like the one they left in Ukraine.

in Delta Junction, with reporting help from Shelby Herbert.

I am Alena Naiden.