7K% Spike in Chinese Nationals Crossing Border

7K% Spike in Chinese Nationals Crossing Border

The number of illegal immigrants crossing the southern border continues at a frightening rate, and the Biden Administration continues to pretend it isn’t a major problem. Meanwhile, the persisting surge has only served to increase havoc in border states and big cities across the nation.

There is no question about it: the Biden Administration has encouraged this border crisis from the very beginning of his term. Almost four years later, voters are increasingly worried about illegal immigration and the loss of our American identity. Perhaps they’ll make their voices heard on November 5th.

Last year, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported a record two-and-a-half million instances of detaining or turning away people attempting to cross into the United States from Mexico. These are only the numbers that have been stopped. It is concerning to note that 37,000 were from China.

The New York Times reported back in November that this “is more than in the preceding 10 years combined.”

In the video clip embedded below, Fox News Channel’s Mike Tobin reports on a “dramatic increase” in Chinese nationals crossing the border illegally. Part of Tobin’s report includes the legitimate concerns of U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) who wants to know why so many Chinese nationals are coming to her state to start illegal marijuana growing operations. During Q&A with Attorney General Merrick Garland, Senator Collins pointed out:

Particularly in our rural communities, Chinese nationals are establishing and operating illegal marijuana growing operations. I first raised concerns about this problem in June of 2022. Thanks to the work of some enterprising Maine journalists, we now know that there are more than 200 such operations operating in houses across our state. And by the way, those houses are forever ruined by the operations, and that contributes to our housing shortage as well.

Last month, I asked the FBI Director about this matter during his open testimony before the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee. While the Director cited the FBI’s efforts to support task force and secure indictments, he was unable to answer a fundamental, troubling question, and that is, why is China sending its citizens, sneaking them into the country, to open illegal marijuana operations in rural Maine communities.

Just recently, three Chinese nationals were apprehended as they crossed the border illegally in northern Maine.

Now, we’ve had a tremendous effort by state, county, and local law enforcement to identify and start shutting down these illegal operations. But there are very clear federal interests here, particularly with respect to national security.

Two days ago, your Office of Legislative Affairs finally responded to four inquiries that I had sent to the Department on this topic. But unfortunately, the response letter provided almost no substantive information on whether the Department is making this a priority, working with state, local, and county law enforcement, and exploring the national security implications. And I do recognize there’s a limit to what you can say in a letter of that sort.

But General Garland, what are the Criminal Division, the National Security Division, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maine doing to address these illegal growing operations? And, in particular, what are they doing to support the tremendous, but under-resourced effort at the state, county, and local level?

The Biden Administration doesn’t seem to be interested in securing the border, stopping the surge of illegal immigration or protecting American citizens from the importation of fentanyl and other drugs from China – which is fostering an overdose epidemic. Why would we expect an administration that has publicly stated that they want cannabis decriminalization and has pardoned thousands of people convicted of marijuana possession to enforce federal drug laws, let alone immigration laws?

Not all the Chinese nationalists crossing the border illegally are coming to the U.S. to cultivate criminal drug activity. According to a report from Reuters, many of these Chinese nationalists are small-business owners who saw irreversible damage to livelihood due to China’s “zero COVID” policies. Like many other immigrants, they are seeking to take advantage of the amazing opportunities and seek the blessings that America offers.

Based on recent media interviews with migrants coming by way of South America through our southern border, many have received instructions thanks to “how-to” tutorials easily found on social media. Various Internet sites offer practical guides and celebrate the journey. As a result, thousands of Chinese migrants have been flying to Ecuador, which allows visa-free travel for Chinese citizens. They then make the journey north to the U.S.-Mexican border.

Asylum?

It is also interesting to note that an estimated 55 percent of Chinese asylum seekers are successful in making their asylum claims, often citing political oppression and lack of religious freedom in China as motivations. By contrast, only 28 percent of Venezuelans seeking asylum in the U.S. have their claim granted, and the number is even lower for Colombians, at 19 percent and Mexicans at 4 percent.

At the end of the video clip below, program host Bret Baier points out that we just don’t know how many of the apprehended Chinese nationalists have been released into the country, let alone the number of “got-aways” that have evaded detection. All this is disquieting, to say the least.