‘Heartbroken’ Ukrainians arrive at Texas-Mexico border claiming asylum
By MaryAnn Martinez
April 7, 2022 7:07pm
EL PASO — Ukrainians fleeing the invasion of their homeland by Russian forces and the subsequent atrocities have begun crossing the US-Mexico border and arriving in frontier towns across Texas seeking asylum, refugee organizations tell The Post.
One group of six refugees arrived in El Paso after making their way from Ukraine to the Netherlands before flying to Mexico.
The group included Tetiana Soloshchuk, her husband, their three sons, another mother and her young daughter. The Soloshchuks were bound for Kentucky, while the other mother and child were en route to Denver.
“They spent four days in Mexico,” said Soloshchuk’s friend, who translated her responses to The Post’s questions over the phone and declined to give her name. “They came through Mexico because it’s the quickest opportunity to get to the United States.”
As with countries in the European Union, Ukrainians don’t need a visa to travel to Mexico. Once Tetiana’s group arrived in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, they turned up at the Paso Del Norte International Port of Entry and got in line to make their asylum claim. They waited for 20 hours, sitting outside in the chill of the desert night until they were seen by a Customs and Border Protection officer who granted them humanitarian parole.
“They’re sad and heartbroken,” the friend said. “They were scared for their sons. The younger one has asthma. It got bad when they in the basement hiding from the bombing.”
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https://nypost.com/2022/04/07/ukrainians-arrive-at-texas-mexico-border-claiming-asylum/
