(TruthAndLiberty.com) – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has reported a significant increase in encounters with Chinese migrants this year. Recent data reveals that in the 11 months leading up to August, almost 45,500 encounters with Chinese nationals were noted. In comparison, the entire 2022 fiscal year, which spans from October to September, recorded nearly 28,000 such interactions. The majority of these encounters took place at the U.S.-Mexico border and were predominantly unaccompanied adults.
This surge has raised concerns among experts regarding potential national security threats. Some question if any of these individuals could be under directives from China. The increase comes amidst strained U.S.-China relations, coupled with allegations of espionage via migration, land deals, and theft of agricultural innovations.
The trend of unauthorized migration from China has risen since 2020 when there were about 18,400 cases. Notably, there was a sharp rise from March to April this year, with high figures persisting through May and June and peaking in July at 6,158 encounters in that month alone.
Rebecca Grant, Ph.D., a national security analyst, voiced concerns over espionage tactics used by China. She pointed out the substantial number of single adults among the encounters, similar to overall migration patterns, and raised questions about the intentions of these Chinese migrants in the U.S.
In the current year, up to August, out of 45,437 encounters, 39,427 were single adults. Over 20,000 of these took place at the southern border, with about 86% being single adults. In contrast, only 2,012 single adult encounters were recorded for the entirety of 2022.
Grant further raised the issue of potential infiltration by members of the Chinese Communist Party via the southern border and questioned the monitoring mechanisms in place.
In 2022, the U.S. saw an entry of over 55,000 Chinese individuals on work visas, an increase from approximately 34,500 in 2017, based on Department of Homeland Security data. Moreover, between 2015 and 2019, about 4.8% of the 3.7 million individuals who became U.S. citizens were from China.
The southern border has remained a contentious issue. After a dip during the pandemic, border crossings increased to around 2.4 million in 2022 and have surpassed 2.2 million in 2023.
In a recent statement, Mark Green, the Republican head of the House Homeland Security Committee, highlighted a surge in Chinese nationals crossing the southern border. He expressed concerns about potential ties to China’s military and ruling party.
However, a representative from the Department of Homeland Security emphasized their rigorous screening process at the border to identify and detain potential threats.
Grant emphasized the potential risks, suggesting that some migrants might have malicious intentions, while others seek a better life in the U.S.
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