Troubling Spike In Chinese Nationals Reported Along US-Mexico Border

Former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson testified in 2019 that 1,000 daily encounters with undocumented migrants on the border would overwhelm the federal system. In recent weeks, that number has been about 10 times higher, prompting demands from across the political spectrum for increased enforcement of existing immigration laws.

While many of those border encounters involve migrants from Mexico and Central America, there appears to be an increasing number of individuals illegally crossing the U.S. border from around the world — including China. This has sparked new concerns for law enforcement and members of the intelligence community.

Last month, reports indicate border patrol agents recorded nearly 5,000 encounters with Chinese nationals. During the 11-month period ending in August, there had already been almost 45,500 encounters with undocumented migrants from China, which was about 17,500 more than during the entire 2022 fiscal year.

“It kind of goes to the question of are any of these here on China’s orders?” asked one expert interviewed by Newsweek.

Considering the tense relations between the U.S. and China, the spike in Chinese nationals entering America illegally has resulted in speculation that the communist nation is engaging in espionage or perhaps even plotting an attack.

“I’m 99% certain that at least a little bit of this is Chinese military infiltrating for reasons harmful to our national security,” asserted U.S. Rep. Mark Green (R-TN) earlier this year. “Is it one person, it is 100, it is 1,000? We don’t know, but the fact that we have to ask this question is just outrageous.”

He went on to describe the border as a “big opportunity” for hostile forces to target the homeland.

“Some of those people want to come here and have a better way of life, but I think some of those Chinese [nationals] quite possibly are here to spy and report back at a minimum,” the House Homeland Security chairman asserted.

Reports indicate migrants from China typically arrange a flight to Ecuador since traveling to that country does ot require them to obtain a visa. From there, they often pay a fee to smugglers who help them reach the U.S.-Mexico border, where they seek asylum.