US deports Chinese nationals in first major charter flight since 2018

Washington: The United States deported Chinese nationals who attempted to enter the country illegally, marking the first significant charter flight since 2018, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported on Tuesday.

The exact number of deportees was not disclosed.

Both the United States and China are collaborating to address illegal migration and human smuggling, according to DHS. Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas emphasized, "We will continue to enforce our immigration laws and remove individuals without a legal basis to remain in the United States. People should not believe the lies of smugglers."

The challenges of securing US visas and the economic fallout from China’s COVID lockdowns have led to a noticeable increase in Chinese nationals attempting to cross the US-Mexico border. Nearly 56,000 Chinese migrants were encountered at both the Southwest border with Mexico and the northern border with Canada, crossing at ports of entry and between them, during the 2024 fiscal year through May, according to US government data. This surpasses the 52,700 crossings recorded in the entire 2023 fiscal year ending in October.

President Joe Biden, seeking re-election, has faced a balancing act on immigration, aiming to enhance security at the US-Mexico border while adopting a more compassionate approach to immigrants in the country illegally. His Republican opponent, Donald Trump, has frequently criticized Biden for not adequately controlling illegal immigration.