According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 4,366 Chinese nationals have been encountered illegally crossing the Southwest border in Fiscal Year 2023, which started on October 1, 2022. While they account for only 0.42 percent of the 1,029,953 illegal border crossings so far, they are of particular concern due to rising tensions between the U.S. and China’s Communist government and concerns about Chinese espionage. Back in January 2021, CBP encountered only 13 Chinese citizens at the Southwest border, but the numbers have been steadily increasing since then, with over a thousand Chinese nationals encountered in both January and February 2023.
Networks Skip Report Chinese Nationals Now Pouring Across U.S./Mexico Border https://t.co/VASuNKtTjd
— Media Research Center (@theMRC) March 23, 2023
BREAKING: Chinese nationals spotted at the southern border trying to enter the U.S. illegally.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 19, 2023
Our country is being invaded and the left is worried about arresting political rivals. Shameful. pic.twitter.com/auojhPiqPs
Republican Congressman Tim Burchett has expressed concern that these Chinese nationals may be spying on Americans and reporting back to China, as research institutions, colleges, and universities in the U.S. have been infiltrated by the Communist Chinese. He argues that these individuals are not coming to work in low-skilled jobs but to engage in espionage activities. He also criticizes the Biden administration for denying that this is happening and for not acknowledging the potential threat it poses.
BREAKING: FOX News captures exclusive video of Chinese nationals being released publicly to an NGO in Brownsville, TX. CBP sources say they are being released w NTAs (notices to appear) because there are so many crossing and no more space to house them @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/n3KdOswWN9
— Griff Jenkins (@GriffJenkins) March 21, 2023
Many of the Chinese illegal border-crossers, along with thousands of people from other countries, are being released in the U.S. due to the lack of space in overcrowded border facilities. Burchett believes that this is a significant problem, and the processing center in Del Rio, Texas, alone is costing taxpayers $16 million a month just to process these individuals. He warns that if this issue is not addressed, it could lead to incidents with Taiwan and widespread unrest within the U.S.