SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — Hundreds of war refugees from Ukraine are waiting at the San Ysidro Port of Entry for their chance to cross into the United States.
Volunteers have started an unofficial waitlist to try and keep some order to the families seeking temporary humanitarian parole.
Davyd Ivaskevych was born in Ukraine but he lives in Modesto. He drove down to volunteer and helps families move closer to the border as their numbers get called.
“When the number gets close, they're told to get in special places. So, we move them from one place to another, closer to the border," said Ivaskevych. At the final place here, we have about 30 people. They're next to cross into the United States.”
Other volunteers work on the supply chain, handing out food and other essential items.
“I don't know if you’d call me a volunteer, I just run to the store and get what they need and bring it here,” said one Ukrainian volunteer.
Sandy Simpson volunteers at Youth with a Mission in San Diego and Baja, California.
Over the weekend, her job was to organize activities for children who have been camping out for days with their family members.
“Handing out donations of food, First Aid, a clothes station,” said Simpson. “We went last night and we bought bubbles, rocks for painting, and chalk. There's another volunteer that's bringing a projector for movie night tonight for the kids, to bring some sort of normalcy.”
The Ukrainian refugees don’t necessarily need to claim asylum once they cross, as they are being allowed into the U.S. under temporary humanitarian parole.
Currently the approximate wait time at San Ysidro is about two days, according to volunteers.
Most get housed in temporary shelters for a couple days when they enter the U.S., where they get tested for COVID-19 before traveling to the homes of sponsor families or relatives.
WATCH RELATED: Nearly 1,000 Ukrainian refugees waiting at the Tijuana border (April 2022)