New policy could derail Ukrainian family’s plan to enter US from Mexico

One Ukrainian family that’s fleeing the war has no formal traveling paperwork or visas, so their extended family in America bought them plane tickets to Mexico where they could cross the border.

But a new government policy starting Monday could derail the family’s plan.

Andre and Juliet Heerden, who live in Clay County, flew to Romania to meet their Ukrainian family and bring them back with them. The return trip is scheduled to happen Monday. But with the U.S.-Mexico border closing to those seeking asylum from the war in Ukraine, the Van Heerdens may have to return home alone.

In 2016, the Van Heerdens lived in Ukraine for three months while adopting two 16-year-old brothers, and they gained an entire second family.

When Russia invaded Ukraine, the Van Heerdens’ loved ones fled to Romania just days later.

“I left everything. I had a small bag. I put one pair of pants there, a shirt and some snacks for my daughter. And we got on a train,” said Lana, a family friend. “And so, lots of military standing with the guns, and some of them were pointing to us just to check whether we are Ukrainians or Russians. It was scary, but we made it through.”

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It took a month, but the Van Heerdens raised enough money to fly to their family, now in Romania, and personally fly four of them back with them to their new home in the U.S.

“People in the greater Jacksonville area came together to donate every single thing that they would need when they arrive to America with nothing,” Juliet Van Heerden said.

While the U.S. is making it easier for refugees fleeing Russia to come to the U.S. from Europe, starting Monday, the Biden administration is shutting down an informal route through northern Mexico that’s emerged in recent weeks.

Knowing the time it would take to file and wait for the proper paperwork —

“We looked at it,” Andre Van Heerden said. “It’s almost as stringent as doing a formal adoption. It’s complicated.”

It’s why the group made the choice to fly into Mexico on Monday.

“We were told this is the way to do it, and many people have done it that way,” Juliet Van Heerden said. “So we said, ‘OK. We will do it too.’ And we’re just one day too late.”

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The Van Heerdens have reached out to local members of Congress, who they said are working hard to get the extended family home. But as of Friday night, it didn’t look promising for their Ukranian family.