Unprecedented Surge in Chinese Illegal Immigration Raises Security Concerns: The BorderLine – Daily Signal
Editors note: This week, we will be taking a brief break from Simon Hankinsons originally scheduled Part 3 of his series on the three reasons President Joe Bidens border chaos is intentional.
Instead, we bring you lightly edited excerpts from his breaking testimony Thursday before the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability at a hearing on Security Risk: The Unprecedented Surge in Chinese Illegal Immigration.
I served as a Foreign Service officer in seven countries. I have adjudicated thousands of visa applications to facilitate lawful visits, commerce, and immigration to the United States while excluding aliens who were legally inadmissible. The visa process I worked with overseas stands in total contrast to what happens at the U.S. border today.
Over the past two years, I have visited the border in Arizona, California, New York, and Texas. On those visits, I saw nationals of many countries apprehended by the Border Patrol. In San Diego last March, I watched Border Patrol dropping off dozens of aliens, including Chinese, at a bus stop to release them into the country.
Mass release of people who entered the country illegally happens nearly every day, multiple times, at multiple locations. At best, this is a mockery of U.S. immigration law and sovereignty. At worst, it is a huge national security and community safety risk. In addition to many Chinese aliens with connections to the Chinese Communist Party, Peoples Liberation Army, and other state entities, it is statistically probable that the Department of Homeland Security is releasing people with serious criminal records.
According to U.S. law, DHS is supposed to detain aliens who enter the country illegally. But the Biden administration has replaced border control with mass processing, parole, and release. DHS has also abused immigration parole at an unprecedented scale.
In January 2021, which included the first 11 days of the new Biden administration, the Border Patrol encountered 17 Chinese aliens between ports of entry. By January 2024, it was 3,700 in that one month alone. As of April 30 this year, DHS had already encountered 48,501 inadmissible Chinese aliens in fiscal year 2024 (which began Oct. 1, 2023); 27,583 of them between ports of entry.
Nearly all are being released into an asylum process that will take years to conclude. At the end of that process, those ordered removed are extremely unlikely to be deported, because the Chinese government does not cooperate in accepting their nationals back.
In fiscal year 2023, Immigration and Customs Enforcement removed only 288 Chinese aliens, leaving up to 100,000 still in the U.S., despite final orders of removal.
Most Chinese entering illegally are seeking employment. They use asylum claims to enter, remain, and work in the United States. Illegal immigration ebbs and flows corresponding to a risk-reward calculation. Today, Chinese are coming in great numbers simply because they can. Worldwide awareness of our open border, spread by social media, shows them how.
For example, Chinese citizens do not need a visa to fly to Ecuador, after which they can continue by land north to the U.S. And starting on May 17, Air China will begin direct flights from Beijing to Havana. If Chinese aliens are willing to take the dangerous trek by land from Ecuador to the U.S. via the Darien Gap, why wouldnt they also be willing to traverse the 90 miles by water to Florida?
Overseas, an in-person interview by a U.S. consular officer is the first line of vetting for foreign visa applicants wanting to come to the United States. This is buttressed by consular staff who know local languages, customs, and news. Larger embassies host other federal agencies that can assist with vetting investigations.
The second line of vetting is through automatic checks of U.S. government databases. Applicants are frequently refused entry based on adverse information that would not have been discovered had the person arrived illegally with no identity documents at the border.
Meanwhile, at the border today, most national security decisions of who gets into our country are no longer made by American officers. Under President Joe Bidens policies, what was once a privilege for aliens has become a right.
Despite what the Biden administration wishes the public to believe, there is no real vetting of those released at the border, nor of those allowed in under parole programs, much less of the gotaways who enter covertly between ports of entry without inspection. The official visa front door competes with a wide-open back door at the border, where there are no routine criminal background checks using records from the persons home country. Unless a foreign national has a record held by U.S. agencies, DHS is flying blind.
Concerning China specifically, Customs and Border Protection agents have reportedly reduced the number of standard questions asked of inadmissible Chinese aliens at the border from 40 to five.
But, however many questions, the process relies on an alien telling the truth and agents taking them at their word. Even if Customs and Border Protection requests additional information on an individual, China routinely ignores U.S. requests for verification of nationality, and they reportedly hide records of criminal and corruption cases.
DHS releases most aliens caught at the border with a Notice to Appear in immigration courtat a date far into the future. Aliens are then free to go wherever they want, with no way for ICE to easily find them.
There are more than 6 million aliens on ICEs Non-Detained Docket, of whom only about 184,000 are tracked using whats called Alternatives to Detention, which uses passive methods to track them, such as having the alien check in with ICE by phone every day. Only 2% of aliens tracked using Alternatives to Detention have actual GPS monitors.
To close this dangerous loophole, the U.S. needs to re-implement agreements with Mexico and Northern Triangle countries of Central America so that inadmissible aliens are not released into the interior of the U.S. pending the decision in their asylum cases, but instead remain in those countries as they await their determinations (the vast majority of which will result in their asylum applications being rejected).
Given the population, economy, and politics of China, the U.S. can never meet the demand for those seeking to enter our country illegally. The U.S. will at some point have to remove those who are ineligible to enter or remain, or else abandon the rule of law that made this country so attractive for so many immigrants in the first place.
The BorderLineis a weekly Daily Signal feature examining everything from the unprecedentedillegal immigrationcrisis at the border to immigrations impact on cities and states throughout the land. We will also shed light on other critical border-related issues like human trafficking, drug smuggling, terrorism, and more.
The Ways the Left Exploits Illegal Immigration for Electoral Gain
The Ideological Roots of the Open Borders Push
US Should Adopt UKs Rwanda Plan to Address Illegal Immigration
Bidens Precarious Parole Programs for Illegal Immigrants
My Look Inside Bidens Illegal Immigrant Catch-and-Release Craziness
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Unprecedented Surge in Chinese Illegal Immigration Raises Security Concerns: The BorderLine - Daily Signal
- Interior Minister directs Immigration Service to crack down on illegal immigration - Modern Ghana - September 4th, 2026 [September 4th, 2026]
- ICE removes criminal illegal aliens convicted of violent crimes July 19 - ICE | U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (.gov) - August 31st, 2026 [August 31st, 2026]
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- Illegal immigration to blame for rising costs, Tuberville says: 40 million people need to go home - AL.com - August 27th, 2026 [August 27th, 2026]
- Byron Donalds Blames FL Measles Outbreak On 'Rampant Illegal Immigration' in Stunning Exchange With CBS's Brennan - Yahoo - August 23rd, 2026 [August 23rd, 2026]
- Criminal illegal alien charged with sexually exploiting child in Tennessee - ICE | U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (.gov) - August 22nd, 2026 [August 22nd, 2026]
- Illegal Immigration Added to Housing Cost Surge - The South Shore Press - August 22nd, 2026 [August 22nd, 2026]
- Ministers have finally admitted the unsayable about illegal immigration - The Spectator - August 22nd, 2026 [August 22nd, 2026]
- Federal Grand Juries in Bowling Green and Paducah indict 10 illegal aliens for immigration, other federal offenses - WBKO - August 16th, 2026 [August 16th, 2026]
- ICE Boston arrests illegal alien charged with numerous sex crimes - ICE | U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (.gov) - July 30th, 2026 [July 30th, 2026]
- ICE Chicago removes former NFL player, criminal illegal alien from Kenya - ICE | U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (.gov) - July 30th, 2026 [July 30th, 2026]
- Joint enforcement operation targets illegal tobacco, cannabis vapes and immigration offences - Lincolnshire Police - July 30th, 2026 [July 30th, 2026]
- Illegal Immigration Killing Britain, Trump Warns New UK PM - The Whistler Newspaper - July 30th, 2026 [July 30th, 2026]
- SUPPLY, DEMAND AND DINAS DENIAL: Titus Scoffs at Link Between Illegal Immigration and Housing - Nevada Globe - July 30th, 2026 [July 30th, 2026]
- HSI Omaha leads investigation resulting in federal prison sentences for 2 criminal illegal aliens who conspired to steal millions from ATMs - ICE |... - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- 5 arrested, including 3 criminal illegal aliens released into the country by the Biden administration, in Middle Tennessee human trafficking... - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- ICE removes criminal illegal aliens to Honduras in partnership with Department of War - ICE | U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (.gov) - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- Dallas Fed Paper Links Illegal Immigration To Nearly A Third Of Home Price Growth - Dallas Express - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- ICE continues removing dangerous criminal illegal aliens throughout June - ICE | U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (.gov) - July 13th, 2026 [July 13th, 2026]
- Criminal illegal alien charged with aggravated assault on ICE officer in Florida - ICE | U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (.gov) - July 13th, 2026 [July 13th, 2026]
- Dallas Fed report says illegal immigration during Biden administration helped raise housing cost - CBS News - July 13th, 2026 [July 13th, 2026]
- Did illegal immigration drive up US home prices? Here's what a Fed study found - The Times of India - July 7th, 2026 [July 7th, 2026]
- DACA Illegal Alien Who Previously Molested a Toddler Sentenced for Immigration Fraud - Department of Justice (.gov) - July 7th, 2026 [July 7th, 2026]
- Cape Town anti-illegal immigration campaign appeals for wider citizenry support - EWN - July 7th, 2026 [July 7th, 2026]
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- The Birthright Citizenship Dissents and Illegal Immigration - National Review - July 1st, 2026 [July 1st, 2026]
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- South Africa deploys police for widespread protests by groups opposing illegal immigration - Ottumwa Courier - July 1st, 2026 [July 1st, 2026]
- ActionSA Ekurhuleni Demands Action on Illegal Immigration and the Township Economy - ActionSA - July 1st, 2026 [July 1st, 2026]
- KuGompo City braces for anti-illegal immigration protest after Igbo king unrest - Daily Dispatch - June 24th, 2026 [June 24th, 2026]
- Illegal immigration: is it worth it? The answer is always NO. - MilitaryNews.com - June 24th, 2026 [June 24th, 2026]
- Are Americans footing the bill for illegal immigration, as Mike Lee says? - NPR Utah | KUER - June 24th, 2026 [June 24th, 2026]
- Government calls for protesters against illegal immigration to march peacefully - South African Government News Agency - June 24th, 2026 [June 24th, 2026]
- Meghalaya BJP Seeks Tougher Curbs on Illegal Immigration Amid Growing ILP Push - Northeast Live - June 24th, 2026 [June 24th, 2026]
- Some MPs blame the Department of Home Affairs for the illegal immigration crisis - EWN - June 24th, 2026 [June 24th, 2026]
- The true reality of illegal immigration - Daily Voice - June 24th, 2026 [June 24th, 2026]
- FACT FOCUS: Trump says illegal immigration increased car insurance premiums. Experts say otherwise - AP News - June 17th, 2026 [June 17th, 2026]
- Trump says G7 united on illegal immigration and drug trafficking - Fox News - June 17th, 2026 [June 17th, 2026]
- FACT FOCUS: Trump says illegal immigration increased car insurance premiums. Experts say otherwise - Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal - June 17th, 2026 [June 17th, 2026]
- Trump says G7 united on illegal immigration and stopping drug trafficking - Fox News - June 17th, 2026 [June 17th, 2026]
- Fact focus: Trump says illegal immigration increased car insurance premiums. Experts say otherwise - The Wenatchee World - June 17th, 2026 [June 17th, 2026]
- FACT FOCUS: Trump says illegal immigration increased car insurance premiums. Experts say otherwise - Herald Bulletin - June 17th, 2026 [June 17th, 2026]
- Fact focus: Trump says illegal immigration increased car insurance premiums. Experts say otherwise - MSN - June 17th, 2026 [June 17th, 2026]
- HSI St. Louis investigation leads to removal of illegal alien who attempted to give baby away to pay debt to smugglers - ICE | U.S. Immigration and... - June 16th, 2026 [June 16th, 2026]
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- AFRICA/SOUTH AFRICA - Tightening on illegal immigration policies following a wave of xenophobia. Msgr. Sipuka states that "all domestic problems... - June 12th, 2026 [June 12th, 2026]
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- Can't we get tough on illegal immigration and still be compassionate to all? - IOL - June 12th, 2026 [June 12th, 2026]
- Illegal Immigrant Who Escaped During Immigration Office Escort Apprehended After About 19 Hours on the Run - - June 12th, 2026 [June 12th, 2026]
- Europe has reduced illegal immigration without goon tactics - The Economist - June 7th, 2026 [June 7th, 2026]
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- Ramaphosa to address nation on illegal immigration as tensions rise - theherald.co.za - June 7th, 2026 [June 7th, 2026]
- ActionSA Disappointed by Presidents Weak and Reactionary Address on Illegal Immigration Crisis - ActionSA - June 7th, 2026 [June 7th, 2026]
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- RECORDED | Ramaphosa addresses the nation on illegal immigration - Business Day - June 7th, 2026 [June 7th, 2026]
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- Iran's Khamenei warns US will lose 'safe haven' in Gulf; Amit Shah forms panel on illegal immigration-lin - The Times of India - May 27th, 2026 [May 27th, 2026]
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- Call for anti-illegal immigration demonstrators to operate within the law - EWN - May 27th, 2026 [May 27th, 2026]
- Assam urges Centre to seal its border with Bangladesh to prevent illegal immigration - News On AIR - May 27th, 2026 [May 27th, 2026]
- Government convenes urgent meeting over anti-illegal immigration protests - The Witness | Your compass in the community - May 27th, 2026 [May 27th, 2026]
- Big Banks and the U.S. Treasury Have Been Enabling Illegal Immigration for Two Decades - Center for Immigration Studies - May 25th, 2026 [May 25th, 2026]