Wang He: U.S. Again Deports Chinese Immigrants via Charter Flights

On December 6, 2023, Chinese immigrants waiting at Willow Camp in Jacumba, California, to be processed by border patrol agents. (John Fredricks/Dajiyuan)

October 18, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that on Tuesday, October 15, a group of Chinese immigrants was deported back to China via charter flight. This was the second such deportation of Chinese immigrants this year.

In a statement issued on Thursday, October 17, DHS did not disclose the number of deportees. The statement noted that on October 15, DHS, through U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), carried out the second charter flight deportation of Chinese citizens this year. The first large-scale deportation occurred in June and was executed in close coordination with China's National Immigration Administration, marking the largest deportation since 2018.

The statement added that this week’s charter flight deportation demonstrates DHS’s continued commitment to cooperating with China and other international partners to reduce and prevent irregular migration.

"DHS continues to enforce U.S. immigration laws, imposing serious consequences on those who enter the country illegally. This includes the swift deportation of individuals without a legal basis to remain in the U.S. while encouraging the use of legal pathways," the statement said.

On June 4, President Joe Biden issued a proclamation temporarily suspending the entry of certain non-citizens crossing the southern border into the U.S. DHS stated that since then, the number of non-citizen encounters by Border Patrol has decreased by more than 55%. As of the end of August, DHS had conducted over 398 international deportation flights to more than 140 countries, including the People's Republic of China (PRC).

"Those with intentions to migrate should not trust the lies of human traffickers. Chinese citizens without a legal basis to remain in the U.S. will be swiftly deported," said DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. "DHS will continue to strengthen the consequences for individuals who enter our country illegally and will continue to enforce our nation's laws."

The statement also noted that over the past year, DHS has carried out deportations to several countries, including Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Egypt, Mauritania, Senegal, Uzbekistan, India, and China. As a result of these efforts, the number of people deported or returned in the 2024 fiscal year has exceeded any year since the 2010 fiscal year.

"Efforts to expand deportation flights are ongoing," DHS said.

In recent years, the worsening U.S.-China relationship has made it more difficult for Chinese citizens to obtain U.S. visas. Combined with the Chinese government's strict lockdowns during the pandemic, increased internet censorship, the collapse of the real estate market, a sharp decline in the stock market affecting family wealth, high youth unemployment, and a sluggish economy, many Chinese have chosen to flee the country. The number of Chinese citizens illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border has surged.

Many of the Chinese choosing to enter the U.S. through irregular routes are from the middle class. For China's middle class, immigration options to the U.S. are limited. Wealthier Chinese can opt for investment-based immigration, but those with fewer resources struggle to obtain U.S. visas. Last year, the rejection rate for Chinese citizens applying for U.S. tourist and business visas was 27%, higher than pre-pandemic levels. As a result, some middle-class individuals have opted to cross into the U.S. illegally.

According to Pew Research Center data, in 2022, around 90,000 Chinese citizens entered the U.S., making China the third-largest source of immigrants after Mexico and India.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data, since October 2023, more than 73,700 Chinese citizens have been apprehended nationwide, with half of the arrests occurring at the southern border.

Editor: Lin Yan