Traveling to Mexico requires no visa for Ukrainian and Russian passport holders. After the U.S. announcement that 100,000 refugees would be accepted from Ukraine, it quickly became common belief that all one needs is a sponsor on the other side to be welcomed into the U.S. with open arms. Or simply to show up and present themselves to U.S. agents, who are sympathetic to the plight of refugees.
Videos and rumors shared through Facebook group pages attesting to the ease of crossing in Mexico are emboldening many to follow this path.
As my wife's own family fled Russian aggression in the first week of the invasion, we were encouraged by a friend who successfully helped them leave Ukraine to count on this being the case. "Just get them to Mexico," they pleaded. But an immigration lawyer we spoke to made it plain: "Don't even think about it."