U.S. Border Patrol encountered over 3,000 Ukrainians in March at the southern border, according to newly released Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data.
“Customs and Border Protection encountered 3,274 Ukrainian citizens at the U.S.-Mexico border in March, a twelvefold increase since February, the agency said Monday—as the U.S. prepares to contend with a flood of visa applications from people fleeing Russian aggression,” Forbes reported.
“About 61.9% of the Ukrainian citizens counted by CBP in March traveled to the southern border with a family member, 37.4% were single adults and 0.6% were unaccompanied minors, roughly consistent with the demographics of Ukrainian migrants who have been arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border since the beginning of the year,” Forbes added.
CBP also announced that over 221,000 migrants had been apprehended in March at the southern border, the highest number since President Biden took office.
“Customs and Border Protection said in a court filing Friday that 221,303 migrants were encountered at the southern border in March. That’s approximately 28% higher than March 2021 when 173,277 migrants were encountered. In March 2020, just 34,460 migrants were encountered at the border,” Fox News reported.
The news comes as more than more than 10 million Ukrainians have been displaced by the Russian invasion, with the Biden administration announcing that it plans on accepting up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees.
“While we expect many Ukrainians will choose to remain in Europe close to family and their homes in Ukraine, today, the United States is announcing plans to welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainians and others fleeing Russia’s aggression through the full range of legal pathways, including the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program,” the Biden administration announced in late March.
“In particular, we are working to expand and develop new programs with a focus on welcoming Ukrainians who have family members in the United States. The United States and the European Union are also coordinating closely to ensure that these efforts, and other forms of humanitarian admission or transfers, are complementary and provide much-needed support to Ukraine’s neighbors,” the statement added.
