The war in Ukraine may cause a surge of immigrants along the southern United States border.

With 2 million or more refugees fleeing Ukraine due to the Russian invasion, experts say more people could seek asylum in the Valley.

Immigration attorney Anthony Matulevicz says those fleeing the war may get to the U.S. using existing visas, asylum applications, or seeking refugee status.

"They have to go to a United Nations refugee camp," Matulevicz said. "And they have to go through an interview process and see where that leaves them."

However, Matulevicz says through the asylum process, even those fleeing violence or a war zone may not qualify, as seen with many Central American families.

"I don't believe that it's clear-cut because it has to be shown [that] they're being prosecuted on one of the grounds of asylum," Matulevicz said. "That means they're being prosecuted by religious grounds, [or] political grounds, [or] by sexual orientation grounds— they still have to show that they're persecuted."

Matulevicz says Mexico has a less stringent requirement to fly in from Europe, people fleeing the impacts of the war may could seek refuge around the county, along U.S. ports of entry and along the southern border.