Ina Levien, who lives in Orange County, California and is a member of a group leading the way in volunteering to help Ukrainians near the border, told CNN that the number of Ukrainians has quadrupled in the past three days. Lucero told CNN that while he expected all immigrants to enter the United States, the US authorities were slow to process them and that is why so many people have gathered. “They process 100, 150 a day or even 200 a day and it takes them almost three hours to process them,” Lucero said. “That’s why we saw this mini camp at the border.” The Department of Homeland Security allows Ukrainians, on a case-by-case basis, to exempt themselves from the Trump-era pandemic restrictions that allowed deportation of migrants who met at the US-Mexico border and continued to be used by the Biden administration. The restrictions will expire on May 23, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. CNN contacted the State Department and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Service, but received no response Saturday.
Providing a little relief
Levien’s volunteer team – made up of California mothers who met on Facebook – provided families with the necessities, such as food, blankets, tents and toys to keep their children busy. Those who can afford it are encouraged to stay in hotels, which cost about $ 40- $ 60 a night, Levien said. The team also helps by putting people arriving at the border on a list and giving them a number so that they do not have to wait in line all the time waiting for entry – a wait that can take more than 24 hours. But the city of Tijuana has also been instrumental in providing some relief, Levien said: the city recently converted a bus stop into a temporary shelter, and a network of churches has been strengthened to help families waiting their turn for treatment. The city is also working to turn a sports facility into a temporary shelter, Lucero said. “We were told that about 500 migrants will arrive on these next flights, so it will increase to two thousand during the day,” he said. CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez contributed to this report.
