The number of Chinese nationals who crossed the southern border illegally in December surpassed totals for previous entire years, according to federal data updated Friday.

There were 5,951 encounters of Chinese migrants crossing illegally at the U.S.-Mexico border in December alone, which is more than fiscal years 2021 and 2022 combined, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Federal authorities recorded 302,034 encounters at both ports of entry and between ports of entry at the U.S.-Mexico border in December, marking the highest month on record.

“Right now in China there’s extreme pessimism, especially among people in their 20s about the future of their country, so it’s understandable that they’re leaving and they’re trying to get into the United States. And, you know, these are people who are relatively middle class, so it shows you the problems in Chinese society are severe,” China expert Gordon Chang previously told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

“When I first saw that the surge in Chinese migrants, that’s the thought that came to my mind that these are either Ministry of State Security agents or Chinese military, who are coming to this country to commit acts of sabotage against the US,” Chang said.

Illegal migrant crossings at the U.S.-Canadian border have also skyrocketed with encounters in the last three months exceeding the total number of crossings in both fiscal years 2021 and 2022 combined, according to federal data.

The Biden administration has simplified the vetting process for Chinese illegal migrants, instructing authorities to go from asking them roughly 40 questions to only five, according to an internal U.S. CBP email obtained by the DCNF.

Jennie Taer on January 26, 2024