Reports of More Chinese Migrants Crossing US Border Into California

Fredric J Brown photo

by Jordan King
June 18, 2024

Chinese migrants have reportedly been filmed crossing the U.S. border and then handing themselves in to authorities.

Footage posted on social media shows a group of people "crossing illegally" in Jacumba, California. They can be seen walking along a railway track and then heading away from it into the mountainous, dry terrain.

A second clip shows them giving themselves up to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers (CBP), standing in a line and sorting through their belongings. The group is made up of men, women, a few older people and at least two who appear to be children.

Chinese migrants crossing the U.S. border have made headlines several times in the past, including at the beginning of the year when the border was thrown into crisis with huge numbers of people trying to get into the country.

The videos were posted by Fox News national correspondent Bill Melugin, who wrote in the caption: "Back in Jacumba, California, this morning, where we just witnessed this group of dozens of Chinese nationals cross illegally.

"They have given themselves up to Border Patrol, expecting to be released into the U.S. like the massive majority of the Chinese who have come before them here in recent months."

Back in Jacumba, CA this morning, where we just witnessed this group of dozens of Chinese nationals cross illegally.

by Bill Melugin
June 17, 2024

Newsweek has sent an email and left a message with the CBP's press office, as well as the San Diego Sherriff's Department, for official information.

On Sunday, CBS News' 60 Minutes did a story on a TikTok trend giving step-by-step instructions to Chinese people.

Information ranged from tips on how to hire smugglers and detailed directions on how to get through a specific gap in the border fence, east of San Diego, according to the report.

Last year, more than 31,000 Chinese citizens were taken in by law enforcement while trying to cross from Mexico into the U.S., according to official CBP data. This is significantly more than the average of 1,500 per year for the decade before.

Chinese migrants follow a U.S. Border Patrol agent after crossing the border with Mexico on May 8, 2024. A U.S. journalist has reported more Chinese migrants crossing the border this week. AP

In May, Foreign Policy magazine looked into the reasons Chinese people had given for wanting to get into the U.S.

Many people cited China's slower recovery from the COVID pandemic, which saw emigration from the nation growing in general.

Others claimed they had been victims of human rights abuses—something often vindicated by the U.S.'s 55 percent rate of acceptance of Chinese asylum claims.

On top of this, Ecuador became visa-free for people with Chinese passports in 2015, providing an easier starting point for many taking the journey to the border.

Chinese migrant suddenly found on California military base

California migrant benefits are changing "soon," official warns

Terrorists may be smuggling chemical weapons across border: John Bolton

California sees record number of Indian migrants at border

Last October, a national security analyst at IRIS Independent Research, Rebecca Grant, told Newsweek that the rising number of Chinese nationals trying to enter the U.S. could be a security risk.

She said: "It kind of goes to the question of: are any of these here on China's orders? We know that China is using everything that they have, every bit of espionage, to spy on our military and our high technology.

"And we know China's government is not our friend, so this dramatic upswing, I think it could definitely present a potential national security risk."

Newsweek has contacted the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs via email for comment.