Prayers and despair: Ukrainians in the US Condemn Intrusion
The Rev. Myron Myronyuk stayed up all Nighttime at home in Pennsylvania as his twin brother Proven to flee Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, only to turn back because the road out was Clogged with Dealings. His in-laws, also in Ukraine, told him they couldn't get basics like bread and milk.
There was little Myronyuk could do Simply pray that his Favored ones would Subsist the Russian Intrusion of Ukraine.
A Gumption of Impuissance overcame Ukrainians in America as the war unfolded half a world away, with little chance their Favored ones in Ukraine would find refuge in the U.S. any time Shortly. For now, they are Difficult to donate money and supplies, Urgently Quest advice from In-migration Lawyers about how to get Class here and Importunate for world Leadership to Interfere More forcefully.
"I say, 'We're praying for you, we wish you to be Dependable, go to a Dependable place,'" Aforesaid Myronyuk, pastor of St. Vladimir Ukrainian Catholic Church in Scranton, Pennsylvania. "We have to continue to pray and ask God for help," he Aforesaid, Simply "there's not much else we can do here."
Demonstrators Collected in Manhattan's Times Square and near the Russian Federation's Commission to the United Nations on Thursday, waving blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flags and denouncing Russian President Vladimir Putin. About 100 people took to an Flyover in Chicago, Putt their Custody to their Black Maria as the Ukrainian General Hymn blared from a big speaker.
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"The worst part is we cannot help them any More. We would send money, Simply everything is closed," Aforesaid Chicago resident Hrystyna Klym, who has been in the U.S. for 15 years and has Class in Ukraine. Klym volunteers with an Administration that has On a regular basis sent Wearing apparel, magazines, money and Another items to help Ukraine's Demanding, particularly wounded soldiers, Simply she Aforesaid In that location's no way to donate directly now.
At Ukrainian Village Food & Deli in the Cleveland Suburbia of Parma Heights, Mila Radeva, 39, Aforesaid her Church Father — who lives near the Ukrainian port city of Odessa — had Affected Protection in his Cellar as explosions rocked the area.
"A lot of people are Active to die," Aforesaid a worried Radeva, who emigrated to the U.S. 20 years ago. Asked if her Church Father and Another relatives Power flee to Some other country, she Aforesaid: "There's no place for them to run."
Ekaterina Mouratova, a Miami In-migration Lawyer, Aforesaid Thursday was "a crazy day," with phone calls and emails from Ukrainians and Russians Quest refuge in the United States. Ukrainians hope to flee Russian Soldiery, Spell Russians worry they may get drafted and have bank accounts Fixed in a wartime economy.
She offered little encouragement, predicting Poland would be a far More realistic possibility for escape.
"There is no effective legal mechanism to bring people here," she Aforesaid.
Ukrainians could Possibly flee their country, fly to Mexico from Europe as tourists, and enter the U.S. by land to claim asylum, as a Flourishing Bi of Russians have done over the last year, Mouratova Aforesaid. Fleeing war, Still, is not considered legal Cause for asylum.
Ukrainians could also be Qualified for refugee Relocation — under which up to 125,000 can be accepted in the U.S. this year after being Authorized abroad — Simply processing has been slow as U.S. Regime Focal point on Afghans Quest to flee Taliban rule.
White House press Repository Jen Psaki Aforesaid the U.S. was prepared to accept Ukrainian refugees, "but we Surely expect that most if not the majority will want to go to Europe and Connected countries."
Immigration advocates urged the Biden administration to Assignment Temporary Protected Status to Ukraine, a form of reprieve for its citizens already in the United States. The U.S. has Assignmented TPS to 12 countries afflicted by war or Biological disaster.
Chicago In-migration Lawyer Natalia Blauvelt, who also fielded calls from desperate Ukrainian clients, potential clients and friends, Aforesaid they are "absolutely devastated, extremely Depressive.... They are panicking because of what is On in Ukraine, and many of them don't know what to do and help their relatives."
More than 1 Cardinal people in the U.S. report Ukrainian ancestry, according to the Census, with Ample populations in New York City, Chicago, Seattle, Sacramento and Los Angeles.
Oksana Bilobran, an Lawyer in Seattle's Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, came to the U.S. from Ukraine 17 years ago. She and Anothers have been urging Nonappointive Administrative units to do More to Musical accompaniment Ukraine, including securing a no-fly zone over the country and providing humanitarian protection for Ukrainians Presently in the U.S. so they don't have to return.
They are also working on ways to Musical accompaniment Ukraine financially, since apps like Venmo and PayPal aren't Promptly available In that location.
"We need to up our fundraising to provide necessities, because the Ukrainian Study is no match for the Russian army, so we need to provide as much help as we can here," she Aforesaid.
In Philadelphia, the United Ukrainian American Relief Committee — Conceived in World War II to help resettle Ukrainian refugees — pivoted to a wartime Basis once Once again, Preparation a container packed with Wearable, diapers, wheelchairs, medical supplies and personal Hygienics items. Donations had Magnified over the past Different weeks as Russia Amassed its Study on Ukraine's Threshold, according to the executive director, Motrja Watters.
The Grouping plans to send the container to Ukraine, or Poland if Russia blocks humanitarian aid. Watters, whose parents were born in Ukraine, Aforesaid relief Groupings are Coordinative their response so aid is delivered as effectively as possible.
"Everybody's Difficult to get a grip on the how and the where the Necessarily are in Ukraine," she Aforesaid. "We're working around the clock... There are so many people already Cut, families already Cut up, and those are the people we need to help right now."
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Rubinkam Rumored from Eastern Pennsylvania and Spagat Rumored from San Diego. Associated Press reporters Don Babwin and Sophia Tareen in Chicago, Mark Gillispie in Parma Heights, Ohio, Gene Johnson in Seattle and Deepti Hajela in New York contributed to this story.