A December report said concerns were growing over the sudden influx of Chinese migrants in key border sectors, despite border authorities encountering more than 24,000 in the same period. Only 288 Chinese nationals were deported from the United States during the year.
More than 21,000 Chinese nationals have already been apprehended in the Border Patrol’s San Diego area alone in fiscal year 2024.
A New York Times report last year revealed that there are more than 100,000 Chinese nationals in the United States who have received final removal orders but have not been deported.
The low number of deportations highlights the difficulty of forcibly returning Chinese nationals to their home countries. China was generally uncooperative and at times refused to allow its citizens to return.
Chinese illegal immigrants increase at record-breaking pace at US southern border
Migrants line up for a truck carrying hot food prepared, cooked and delivered by a small group of local volunteers in Jacumba, California. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Chinese nationals are the second-most common nationality encountered at the San Diego-area border since the fiscal year began in October, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data obtained by Fox News.
Many people enter the United States in places like Jacumba, a small town about 90 miles east of San Diego.
Chinese migrants pouring across southern border sparks national security concerns
Immigrants line up in Jacumba, California. Border authorities are battling an influx of Chinese migrants in key border areas. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
The number of Chinese nationals passing through the San Diego area is second only to Colombia (28,000). Mexican nationals ranked third with 18,700 people, followed by Brazil (8,700) and Ecuador (7,700). Other countries of origin include Turkey, Guinea, India, Guatemala, and Peru.
The number of Chinese immigrants appearing at the southern border has increased since fiscal year 2021, increasing to more than 2,000 across the border in fiscal year 2022. In 2023, that number has jumped to more than 24,314 people.
7.2 The number of illegal immigrants entering the United States under the Biden administration exceeds the population of 36 states
The influx has raised concerns from lawmakers and border officials, as China is not only an enemy of the United States, but also a spy agency.
“This is a very frightening prospect,” Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council, told Fox News last week. “We know China hates us, and we’re in China’s crosshairs. I also know that,” he said.
A Chinese immigrant attempting to enter the United States from Mexico is detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the border in Jacumba, California, on November 11, 2023. (Nick Ut/Getty Images)
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In its fiscal year 2023 report, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said there were 44 deportations to Afghanistan, six to Syria, and two to North Korea, even though Afghanistan is controlled by the Taliban. He pointed out that 18 cases were repatriated to Iran.
Overall, more than 140,000 illegal immigrants have been encountered in the San Diego area since October.
