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Ukrainian woman moving to Little Rock touched by generosity

25-year-old Nataliia Poliakova is sharing her journey from Ukraine to Arkansas to hopefully help other refugees as they travel looking for a new place to live.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Before she arrived in America, Nataliia Poliakova spent the last few weeks on a perilous journey surviving the process to enter the United States. 

She can only described what it took to get here from Ukraine as "war."

"I want to go back to Kyiv everyday, because I want to help people and I feel guilty that I'm here. I want to do something but I love my aunt so much. I'm so happy that I'm here," she cries into her aunt's arms from the comfort of a California hotel room.

Nataliia Poliakova said she just cried and cried with every comment her aunt Jenya Files showed her from a Facebook post made on her behalf.

In the post to a group, Files detailed Poliakova's journey as a Ukrainian refugee and was looking for a company that would sponsor her or give her a job.

With a lot of other people who have made it out like she did, she said there's a feeling of relief, but there's also a feeling of guilt for being alive and safe.

Files said the longest process of the journey was getting through the U.S.-Mexico border. They spoke with several immigration attorneys who told them to ask for asylum. 

The only problem hindering her final steps to freedom was the Title 42 policy that holds up many asylum seekers at the border. 

"That was with the Trump administration and the Biden administration upholding it. Nataliia was one of the first members of the Ukrainian citizens to arrive to Mexico. Right now there's over 10,000 Ukrainians living in camps outside the San Ysidro Port of Entry," said Files.

Last week, the Biden Administration announced Uniting for Ukraine, a new program focused on helping refugees who want to enter the U.S. It will allow Americans to sponsor refugees and discourages entry through the Mexico border.

Poliakova is just getting started in the process, but says the announcement came a bit too late after spending days in Mexico trying to cross over. 

"That was awful. I was alone. I could see the border. It was three feet in front of me," she said. 

Nathan Bogart is an Arkansas immigration attorney and serves as the temporary director at the University of Arkansas immigration clinic. 

He said because Ukraine is such a unique circumstance, they're tackling what they can do to help as it happens in real time. 

"The government here in the U.S. has the authority to declare a number of temporary options to victims of active war zones. Generally speaking somebody needs either a family member or an employer in order to file a petition for them in order to get in to the United States," said Bogart.

He also added that the process can come with a number of different hurdles, but Arkansans can sponsor a Ukrainian refugee if they wanted to help.

To learn how you can sponsor a Ukrainian refugee, click here.

RELATED: Ukrainians will need sponsors to enter U.S., ending asylum at the border

Files said they applied for the expedition of her niece's work permit, but are also looking for employment opportunities before the move to Little Rock. They're preparing to get here within the next two months. 

Poliakova can't believe that so many people were willing to offer her jobs and even organizations where she can get more support from. Others even offered friendship as a shoulder to lean on.

"For every comment that people text. I cried. I so appreciate it. I'm so happy every time but also I feel terrible that I have to ask for this help," said Poliakova.

She said she wishes she could just be a normal person that can walk around without the cloud of war over her shoulder.

Seeing others in pain, homeless, hurt and in need throughout her journey has stuck with her. 

"They need help and they have a right to a happy life after everything that they have had to go through. Glory to Ukraine," said Poliakova.

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