Border Patrol agents encountered more than 4,200 illegal migrants from China between October 2022 and February 2023, compared to roughly 1,900 in all of fiscal year 2022, according to CBP data. The Border Patrol believes that number is going to continue to rise and has warned its agents to prepare.
“Chinese national apprehensions will continue to rise across the SWB [Southwest border]. primarily in Yuma and the Rio Grande Sector, as more Chinese nationals successfully reach the United States to request asylum and information about routes becomes more accessible.”
“CBP reporting suggests that given the apprehensions in RGV [Rio Grande Valley], it is unlikely that a new smuggling route were [sic] created, but that the recent uptick is indicative of an overall surge across the entire SWB [Southwest border].”