The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Tuesday that it has deported 116 Chinese migrants from the United States, marking the first “large charter flight” of its kind in five years. This significant event took place over the weekend and comes amid heightened political debate surrounding Chinese immigration in the lead-up to the U.S. presidential election.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas emphasized the department’s commitment to enforcing immigration laws and removing individuals who lack a legal basis to remain in the United States. In a statement, Mayorkas said, “We will continue to enforce our immigration laws and remove individuals without a legal basis to remain in the United States.”
The DHS revealed that it is collaborating with China to “reduce and deter irregular migration and to disrupt illicit human smuggling through expanded law enforcement efforts.” However, the department did not provide details on how long the deported migrants had been in the U.S.
In recent years, the U.S. has faced challenges in returning Chinese nationals who do not have the right to stay in the country, largely due to China’s reluctance to accept them back. Last year, the U.S. experienced a significant surge in the number of Chinese immigrants entering the country illegally from Mexico. In 2023, U.S. border officials arrested more than 37,000 Chinese nationals at the southern border, a tenfold increase compared to the previous year.
Chinese migration has become a focal point for Republicans and former President Donald Trump, who have expressed suspicions about the reasons behind the influx of Chinese migrants. Asian advocacy organizations have voiced concerns that such rhetoric could lead to increased harassment of Asians. Meanwhile, many migrants have stated that they are fleeing poverty and repression in their home country.
Earlier this year, the U.S. and China resumed cooperation on migration issues. The Chinese government has consistently stated its firm opposition to “all forms of illegal immigration.” In a statement issued in May, China’s Embassy in the U.S. asserted that the country’s law enforcement agencies were cracking down “hard on crimes that harm the tranquility of national border” and maintaining high pressure on smuggling organizations and offenders.
The DHS indicated that it is working with China on additional removal flights in the future but did not specify a timeline for the next flight. Earlier this year, a charter flight carried a small, undisclosed number of deportees to the northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang. According to Thomas Cartwright of Witness at the Border, an advocacy group that tracks deportation flights, the March 30 flight involved a Gulfstream V aircraft, which typically has a seating capacity of 14. The flight also made a stop in South Korea before returning to the U.S.
The announcement of this large charter flight follows Ecuador’s decision to cut off a key route used by Chinese migrants to reach the Western Hemisphere. Ecuador was one of only two mainland countries in the Americas that offered visa-free entry to Chinese nationals, making it a popular starting point for Chinese migrants who then traveled north to the U.S. However, as of July 1, Ecuador has reinstated visa requirements for Chinese nationals, citing a concerning increase in irregular migration.
The DHS’s recent actions underscore the ongoing complexities and challenges of managing immigration and deportation processes, particularly in the context of U.S.-China relations. As the political debate over immigration continues to intensify, the future of such deportation efforts remains uncertain.
Source: Associated Press
