New US asylum regulations lead to surge in detentions of Russian migrants
Recent changes in entry and asylum procedures for Russian citizens have resulted in a wave of arrests at the U.S. border. Russian nationals seeking political asylum in the United States have been experiencing significant difficulties for several months, immigration attorneys and asylum seekers told The Moscow Times.
Many Russians who pre-registered with the CBP One program find themselves in immigration detention centers indefinitely after crossing the border, awaiting decisions on their cases. Previously, the process was quite different: most Russian applicants using CBP One were granted entry after filing their paperwork. Some were briefly held in detention centers, but most were allowed to remain free while their applications were processed.
However, starting in May 2024, this system underwent a shift: Russian citizens began being systematically detained. Experts estimate that at least 900 Russians using CBP One are currently in custody, with the real number likely much higher.
In 2024, the New York Post reported that the U.S. authorities started swiftly deporting illegal migrants from Russia and five other post-Soviet states apprehended at the Mexico border. According to the newspaper, an internal memo revealed that border officials in California received instructions to admit migrants from over 100 countries, while excluding citizens of Russia, Georgia, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.