The Biden administration announced it deported a chartered plane full of Chinese nationals back to the People’s Republic of China. In a press release, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement “conducted its second charter removal flight to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) of Chinese nationals this year.”
The first removal of Chinese nationals was conducted in June this year in what DHS called “the first large charter removal flight since 2018.” In that same month, DHS said it was working with China to reduce irregular migration “and to disrupt illicit human smuggling through expanded law enforcement efforts.”
In 2023, U.S. border officials apprehended over 37,000 Chinese nationals at the southern border, a tenfold increase compared to the previous year, The Associated Press reported in July.
In fiscal year 2024, almost 56,000 Chinese migrants were encountered at U.S. borders with Canada and Mexico between ports of entry, the government reported.
“Intending migrants should not believe the lies of smugglers—Chinese nationals without a legal basis to remain in the United States are subject to swift removal,” Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement.
DHS said it will continue to enforce U.S. immigration laws and pursue tough consequences for those who unlawfully enter the country.
It’s unclear how many Chinese nationals were on the chartered flight. In June, 116 Chinese nationals were removed from the country.
