‘I hope we’ll get through this’: the Ukrainian refugees arriving in Tijuana

From February until just this week, Mexico has been the second-to-last stop on a journey to a semblance of normalcy for Ukrainian families

Just over the zigzag pathway of the Tijuana border crossing, a mile or so from the taco and churros stands that feed locals and tourists alike, rests a pop-up encampment for Ukrainian and Russian refugees fleeing an invasion they could neither endure nor support.

From February until just this week, Mexico has been their second-to-last stop in a weeks-long journey; Tijuana a two- or three-day respite on the way to something better, something safer, where their children can slowly work toward normalcy after their lives were upended by war.