National Security Concerns Raised as Number of Chinese Military-Age Illegal Immigrants Hits Record High

‘Illegal border crossings by Chinese nationals are skyrocketing,’ said Florida Rep. Brian Mast. ‘This is a national security threat.’

Illegal immigrants cross into the United States from Mexico to be processed by Border Patrol agents in El Paso, Texas, on May 8, 2023. John Moore/Getty Images

The number of single, military-age Chinese nationals entering the United States illegally so far this fiscal year has already outpaced any prior fiscal year on record, while the latest data from March shows a more than 15,000 percent increase compared to President Donald Trump’s final full month in office.

Amid ongoing tensions with China, there’s been a stream of warnings from lawmakers and border officials about the meteoric rise in the number of Chinese military-age nationals entering the country illegally since President Joe Biden took office, with the numbers hitting staggering levels over the past year or so.