The U.S. southwest border has seen a huge surge in Chinese nationals, with 30,000 entering the United States without a legal pathway since Oct. 1, according to border protection authorities.
The vast majority, roughly 20,000, of the Chinese nationals crossed through the U.S. southern border, most of them entering through California. As a comparison, the total number of encounters with Chinese nationals through the southern border over the same time period of October 2020–January 2021 was 55.
Ms. Jean-Pierre went on to blame previous administrations and Congress for the influx. “We understand there’s a challenge at the border. We understand we need to do more. We understand that there’s an immigration system that has been broken for decades. We wanted Congress in the House to pass that and move that forward, and they didn’t.”
Recent reports indicate that the surge in illegal Chinese immigration at the southern border could be assisted by social media app TikTok.
The Associated Press recently reported, near the start of the fiscal year, that Chinese people were the fourth-highest nationality crossing the Darién Gap, after Venezuelans, Ecuadorians, and Haitians.
Chinese nationals frequently take a route to the United States through Ecuador, which has no visa requirements for Chinese people, and migrants then join Latin Americans to travel north across several Central American countries to reach the border.
Short videos on messaging apps and social media offer step-by-step guides from China to the United States, including tips on how to pack and how to survive the jungle trek. The videos also include information on and how much to bribe police in various countries and what to say when encountering U.S. Immigration officials.
CBP personnel encountered more than 2.2 million illegal immigrants at the southern border during fiscal year 2022, and more than 2 million illegal immigrants during fiscal year 2023, data shows.
The marked increase in illegal immigration, as well as the lack of implementation of efficient border policies, caused Congress to move forward with their successful attempt to impeach DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The Biden administration cabinet member became the second Cabinet member ever to be impeached.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) asserted that Republicans made the wrong decision.
“House Republicans will be remembered by history for trampling on the Constitution for political gain rather than working to solve the serious challenges at our border,” DHS spokesperson Mia Ehrenberg said in a statement.
“Without a shred of evidence or legitimate constitutional grounds, and despite bipartisan opposition, House Republicans have falsely smeared a dedicated public servant who has spent more than 20 years enforcing our laws and serving our country. Secretary Mayorkas and the Department of Homeland Security will continue working every day to keep Americans safe.”
