The United States may consider restricting Chinese visitors if the Chinese government continues to obstruct the deportation of around 30,000 Chinese immigrants who have been ordered to leave the country by federal courts.
This warning came just ahead of President Donald Trump’s trip to China on May 14th and 15th.
A senior U.S. official stated that, over the past six months, China has reduced its cooperation, having accepted roughly 3,000 deportees on charter and commercial flights earlier in 2025. This official, speaking anonymously, expressed frustration over China’s reluctance to fully engage in efforts to repatriate its nationals, labeling it a breach of international obligations.
Currently, there are over 100,000 undocumented Chinese individuals in the United States, with more than 30,000 having received final removal orders. Authorities have detained over 1,500 of these individuals, many of whom have prior criminal records, officials noted.
Deporting immigrants without the consent of their home countries is complicated, as many nations, including India and Vietnam, are hesitant to accept their return, partly because these undocumented individuals send significant remittances back home.
Several undocumented Chinese immigrants previously received a warm welcome from President Joe Biden’s pro-immigrant border chief, Alejandro Mayorkas.
Biden’s administration has not pressured China to accept back even those criminal immigrants who have completed their sentences, a position thought to stem from close ties with Wall Street donors who favor maintaining strong trade with China.
In contrast, President Trump has promoted a stringent approach toward illegal immigration, referred to by Reuters as a “hardline immigration policy.”
It remains unclear how firmly the Trump administration will push China to assist in deporting illegal immigrants, including those from military backgrounds, as well as students and people who overstayed their visas. According to Reuters, if China’s cooperation does not improve, the U.S. might consider increasing fees for visa applications and denying more entries.
Some Chinese immigrants reportedly become involved in criminal networks, contributing to an underground banking system that supports smuggling operations tied to drug cartels in Mexico. This situation has led to the tragic outcomes for many young Americans.
Many of these undocumented individuals find unregistered jobs within Chinese companies, particularly in enclaves located in California, New York, and Texas, allowing them to blend in with the legal immigrant population. For instance, a large glass factory in Ohio, run by Chinese legal investors, has been accused of employing numerous undocumented workers.
By mid-2022, a report from the Migration Policy Institute indicated that approximately 239,000 undocumented Chinese migrants were present in the U.S.
In addition, many Chinese immigrants enter the country through legal channels, such as the H-1B visa program, which allows them to work in specialized occupations.
