30K Chinese nationals entered US illegally since October, raising national security fears: sources

Chinese migration to the US continues at a record pace, with 30,000 arrested for illegally crossing the border nationwide since October.

That number surpasses the 24,000 Chinese migrants encountered during the whole of fiscal year 2023, according to Border Patrol data leaked to The Post.

There has been an explosion in immigration from China during the Biden administration.

In the whole of fiscal year 2021 — which runs from October 1 to September 30 — just 342 Chinese migrants were encountered at the border.

The 24,000 Chinese people arrested in 2023 was more than in the previous 10 years combined.

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The majority of Chinese migrants are entering through the San Diego border region, where agents have been completely overwhelmed by the massive influxes.

National security concerns have been raised by the ongoing trend, as Customs and Border Protection (CBP) cut the number of questions its processors were required to ask Chinese nationals from roughly 40 to just five due to a need to keep processing people quickly due to being overwhelmed by the numbers of people caught having crossed into the US illegally.

Many also destroy or discard their passports or ID cards on the Mexican side of the border, making it much harder for CBP to prove their identity and their country of origin, and making deporting them harder, according to various reports .

Many of the Chinese migrants also appear to be motivated by economic reasons, rather than fleeing life-threatening oppression.

A family that had crossed the border into San Diego in April told The Post they had no immediate problems forcing them to leave their homeland that would give them grounds to claim asylum in the US.

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“We went from Thailand and Turkey and we followed a route shared on social media,” they said, adding that their journey cost $75,000.

Those who are released from Border Patrol custody are taken by bus to San Diego and left at a local trolley station. Many of the Chinese migrants departing the buses are swiftly escorted by a group of Chinese men who operate informal “taxis” for those from their homeland.

The men previously told The Post they’re there to help migrants from their own community because the new arrivals don’t speak English or know where to go.

“When they first arrive here, they don’t understand the language and are very scared. When they meet us, they will feel at ease,” one of the Chinese men waiting for migrants told The Post.

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“The Chinese man who just got off the bus had his phone, wallet and ID stolen in Mexico. I will arrange accommodations for him tonight and treat him to a meal. I will also help him contact his family,” he said, speaking through a translation app.

The influx of Chinese nationals also raises security fears, as the country’s government is known to aggressively infiltrate the US.

Numerous federal investigations into Chinese spying are still underway and a report released last September revealed Chinese nationals have snuck onto military bases and other sensitive US sites more than 100 times in recent years.

On May 16, ICE’s acting chief Patrick J. Lechleitner shared his concerns over the sudden influx of Chinese, saying the federal government is in ongoing talks with the Chinese government to reach an agreement to conduct regular deportation flights to China.

“It does raise concerns … who these individuals are and what they’re doing,” Lechleitner said.

On March 30, a removal flight with the capacity to carry just 14 passengers landed in Shenyang, China, according to Thomas Cartwright of Witness at the Border.

“It’s not always easy, but we’re trying,” Lechleitner said of ongoing talks with China about deportations.

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