TIJUANA, Mexico — When a Russian family, threatened because of their opposition to the war in Ukraine, recently arrived in Tijuana, they tried every tactic they'd heard of to reach the United States and request asylum.
After being turned away at the border, they found a Telegram channel, where they were told that an organization could help them cross at the port of entry on foot with permission from Customs and Border Protection — but they would have to pay. The price was $2,000 per person.
Multiple sources have told the Union-Tribune about similar issues of extortion and corruption in the temporary program for processing some asylum seekers while Title 42, a U.S. pandemic border policy, remains in effect. None of them were willing to be named, citing serious safety concerns related to organized crime.
