US to welcome Ukraine refugees but no longer through Mexico

By BEN FOX
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is making it easier for refugees fleeing Russia’s war on Ukraine to come to the United States from Europe while trying to shut down an informal route through northern Mexico that’s emerged in recent weeks. A program announced Thursday will streamline refugee applications for Ukrainians and others fleeing the war, but will no longer routinely grant entry to those who show up at the U.S.-Mexico border seeking asylum, as thousands have done since the invasion started. The U.S. says it expects to admit up to 100,000 refugees from Ukraine and about 15,000 have come since the Feb. 24 invasion, mostly through Mexico.