The Department of Homeland Security has approved nearly 6,000 Ukrainians to enter the U.S. through an online application system that lets them gain legal authorization to fly to U.S. airports and then stay with Americans who have agreed to sponsor them, the agency said Monday.
The online portal, known as Uniting for Ukraine, launched on April 25 as part of President Joe Biden’s stated goal to bring 100,000 people fleeing Russia’s deadly invasion to the U.S.
The launch of the website meant the closure of a popular but dangerous and illegal route many Ukrainians had taken via the U.S.-Mexico border, where, after entering Mexico on a tourist visa, they were transported from camps in Tijuana into California.
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