President Joe Biden continues to face harsh — and increasingly bipartisan — backlash over policies that have ushered in unprecedented levels of illegal immigration over the past three years.
As border agents encounter a growing number of undocumented migrants from nations outside of the Americas, critics are sounding additional alarms about potential risks.
In addition to a spike in the number of migrants from African nations following an immigration crackdown by several European countries, the U.S.-Mexico border has also seen a significant rise in the rate of illegal border crossings by individuals from Asia, and China in particular.
Given the tense relations between the U.S. and China, security experts have advised that if such migrants are allowed to enter the nation, it should only be after enhanced security screenings.
The Biden administration, however, appears to be embracing an opposite approach. According to recent reports, U.S. Customs and Border Protection approved a measure that would see the form given to Chinese nationals at the border pared down from 40 questions to five.
Americans are really becoming concerned about our national security as a result of Biden’s inability to secure our border.
Now, Biden’s DHS is even watering down the vetting process for Chinese migrants as China increasingly poses threat to the U.S. pic.twitter.com/2GWLjXiYn0
— Mercedes Schlapp (@mercedesschlapp) January 4, 2024
Internal communications claimed that “100% Chinese in-depth interviews or phone downloads” are no longer required.
“Intake of the Chinese by any processor are asked the basic questions to include … military service, place of birth, employment [and] political party.”
International defense expert Timothy Heath argued that the shift toward a laxer process could pave the way for Chinese spies and other potential security threats to enter the country undetected.
He noted that the “change in procedure appears to reflect the reality that the volume of Chinese migrants is overwhelming the U.S. immigration control system,” thus reducing the processing time at the potential expense of national security.
“Any simplification risks raising the risk that unwanted individuals slip through the cracks,” he warned.
Members of Congress have also pushed back against the shift, including in a statement from the Republican-led House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.
“Americans do not want America’s foremost adversary facilitating the flow of fentanyl into our country or sending thousands of people across our border illegally,” the panel wrote. “President Biden needs to secure the border now.”
