More than 5,000 Ukrainians detained at the border in March

More than 5,000 Ukrainians were detained by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at U.S. borders in March, according to new data released by the agency on Monday. 

CBP detained a total of 5,071 Ukrainians last month, a significant increase from the 1,146 Ukrainian nationals that were detained in February. 

According to the data, most of the Ukrainians detained by the CBP were intercepted at the U.S.-Mexico border. In March, around 3,274 were detained at the country’s southern border alone, compared to 272 in February. 

As Ukrainians continue to flee their war-torn country, the Biden administration announced in a statement on Monday that it will extend the temporary protected status (TPS) for another 18 months until October 2023. 

“TPS is a temporary immigration status granted to eligible nationals of a foreign state designated for TPS under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), or to eligible individuals without nationality who last habitually resided in the designated foreign state, regardless of their country of birth,” reads the statement from the Department of Homeland Security.

Ukrainians who enter the U.S. under TPS are authorized to stay in the country and apply for work permits, according to the DHS. The Biden administration estimates that 59,600 Ukrainians could apply for TPS after the program applications open on Tuesday.

"Extraordinary and temporary conditions, including destroyed infrastructure, scarce resources, and lack of access to healthcare, prevent Ukrainian nationals from returning to their homeland in safety," DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said

According to the United Nations, more than 4.9 million Ukrainians have fled their homeland since the beginning of the Russian invasion on February 24, making it one of the largest refugee crises since World War II. 

“In the first five weeks, more than four million refugees from Ukraine crossed borders into neighboring countries, and many more have been forced to move inside the country. They are in need of protection and support,” said the agency. 

While most Ukrainian refugees head to neighboring countries, such as Poland, Romania, Hungary, and Moldova, President Joe Biden announced last month that the U.S. would welcome 100,000 Ukrainians displaced by the war with Russia.