(NewsNation Now) — Even before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. was already experiencing an influx of asylum seekers at its borders — especially from Russia.
This is becoming increasingly common at the U.S. port of entry in San Ysidro, California, as thousands are seeking entry into southern California from Mexico.
A Ukrainian named Sofia and her three children recently entered from Tijuana. They had fled Ukraine three days after the invasion.
“I probably don’t have any other place to go,” Sofia said. “I have family and friends in the United States and they are ready to support me.”
But one Ukrainian couple was turned away due to improper paperwork.
While there is an ease in entering Mexico, Ukraine and Russia are not on the list of countries with a U.S. visa waiver.
So a swell of European asylum seekers is growing south of the border and for quite some time, it’s been far more Russians than Ukrainians.
“I really want to try and help everyone and I know it’s not possible, it’s an emotional roller-coaster, it’s tough,” said immigration attorney Anaida Zadykyan.
The couple of Russian inquiries a month Zadykyan used to receive grew to several new clients every week.
The southern border has seen more than 5,600 Russians seeking asylum in just the past four months.
“It has been going on for a while, but it started increasing last year,” immigration attorney Yulia Pashkova said. “I believe because the situation in Russia has been deteriorating.”
As things are getting worse in Russia with the impact of Western sanctions, more Russians want out.
But rubles are practically worthless and flights out are extremely limited.
“Sanctions and everything, they hit hardest for the people who are actually free thinkers, you know, who are not supporting whatever the government is doing,” Zadykyan said. “And it’s really sad because they’re actually trapped right now.”
Russians and Ukrainians are a tiny fraction of all asylum seekers at the border.
But according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) at Syracuse, they are winning their cases at a higher rate than other migrants.
“It will be very interesting how the administration will handle this, given that they have flown many Haitian refugees back to Haiti on deportation flights over the last several months,” Syracuse TRAC researcher Austin Kocher said. “That has been controversial for turning those refugees back.”
North of the border, many migrants are assisted by the San Diego Rapid Response Network (SDRRN), which reports the biggest groups they currently serve include Russians, Ukrainians and Cubans.