Customs and Border Protection (CBP) apprehended 269 Chinese nationals attempting to enter the U.S. illegally on Monday, marking a significant surge in the number of Chinese illegal immigrants encountered by Border Patrol agents. This brings the total to over 20,000 in the past five months alone. According to a CBP source, the Border Patrol’s San Diego Sector detained 269 illegal immigrants from China in a single day, following the apprehension of over 8,500 illegal immigrants from 73 different countries in the first week of February. Fiscal year 2024 alone has seen encounters with more than 20,000 Chinese nationals at the border, a stark contrast to the 450 who crossed in all of fiscal year 2021.
Chinese nationals seeking illegal entry have become the fastest-growing group of immigrants crossing the southern border, with reports indicating that these migrants find instructions for hiring smugglers on the Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok. The process often involves flying from China to Ecuador, which does not require a visa for Chinese nationals, before heading to Tijuana, Mexico. There, they meet and pay smugglers who facilitate their journey to the U.S. southern border.
Former President Donald Trump voiced concerns about the surge, suggesting that the Chinese Communist Party may be directing the flow of Chinese nationals to the U.S. He emphasized the potential national security threat posed by the influx of Chinese illegal immigrants and raised questions about the composition of the group, mainly men aged 18 to 25.
The rise in Chinese citizens entering the U.S. illegally coincides with the ongoing debate between Republicans and the Biden administration on border security and immigration reform. Since President Biden assumed office in January 2021, over eight million illegal immigrants have been encountered at the border, excluding those who successfully evade authorities, according to CBP data. House Speaker Mike Johnson criticized a $95 billion foreign aid package passed by the Senate, asserting that it lacked real border security provisions and failed to address the most critical aspect of national security supplemental legislation. The issue highlights the ongoing challenges and policy disagreements surrounding immigration enforcement in the United States.
