With Coronavirus Concerns Heightened,328 Chinese Nationals Caught at Southern Border Trying to Enter

[Hamartia Antidote]

https://www.texasinsider.org/articl...southern-border-trying-to-enter-u-s-illegally
https://www.texasinsider.org/articl...southern-border-trying-to-enter-u-s-illegally

“We have a unique public health threat posed by individuals arriving unlawfully at the border.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Texas Insider Report) — As the U.S. fight against the Coronavirus heightens awareness on the nation's borders, Customs & Border Protection (CBP) officials and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that 100's of Chinese nationals have attempted to illegally enter the United States through the southern border since the outbreak of the coronavirus in China. The White House recently announced travel restrictions for China, saying the U.S. would keep out any foreign national who’s been in China within 14 days.

“Some 328 illegal immigrants from China have been nabbed jumping the U.S.-Mexico Border so far this year, according to Homeland Security data that raises the prospect a coronavirus carrier could sneak into the country via the border,” The Washington Times reported.

“Three other people from South Korea — another country with rapidly spreading cases — have also been arrested at the border, as have 122 people from the Dominican Republican, where the coronavirus has now been detected.”

“The journey to the U.S. border puts migrants in poor conditions. We don’t know if they have come into contact with someone who has the flu, there is no passport, medical history, or travel manifest,” said Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf.

The Chinese citizens were “apprehended” and sent back across the border or repatriated consistent with existing policy and procedure, CBP officials said.

Some 227 foreign nationals from other nations who tried to enter through legal border points from Feb. 2 through March 3 have been turned away due to the travel restriction ordered by President Donald Trump and implemented by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), officials said.

"We know from experience that the journey to the U.S. border puts migrants in poor conditions — and they often arrive with no passports, medical histories, or travel manifests,” said Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf.

"The individuals coming in at our 11 airports are being funneled, and we have very good information of their travel history, of their medical history.

"We’re not going to have that same set of fidelity for the individuals if this continues to grow at the southwest border."

Senior administration officials said that the president’s three-year focus on the border, the new wall, and the policy of keeping illegal immigrants in Mexico while awaiting permission to enter the U.S. have gone a long way to keep the virus away, especially at the southern border.

“The American people can be assured that we’re doing everything we can to protect our homeland," said acting DHS Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli (left.)

"While the general risk to the American public remains low, DHS has mobilized a department-wide response to keep Americans safe, secure, and informed.

"Fortunately, we were able to engage DHS assistance early to prevent the spread of this virus in the U.S. We remain locked arm-in-arm with our interagency partners, HHS and CDC health professionals, and state and local officials acting as one to safeguard the health and safety of the American people.”

Added another a senior administration official: “We have a unique public health threat posed by individuals arriving unlawfully at the border.”

By the numbers: Illegal Immigrants apprehended at the southern border since January 1:

• China: 328
• South Korea: 3

Foreign nationals refused by CBP at Land Ports of Entry between February 2 to March 3:

• Canada: 113
• China: 90
• India: 9
• Mexico: 6
• Germany: 4
• Bangladesh: 2
• Japan: 2
• Norway: 1
  Singapore: 1

Border Patrol agents said that in addition to the 1,000 illegal aliens who are caught every day entering the U.S. through the southern border, a significant number of illegal aliens are managing to sneak into the country undetected.

"The administration will continue to closely monitor the virus globally, as well as in our hemisphere, and will adjust our proactive measures as necessary," Wolf said.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/mar/4/dhs-links-coronavirus-border-328-chinese-illegals-/

Some 328 immigrants from China have been caught crossing the border illegally so far this year, according to Homeland Security data that raises the prospect a coronavirus carrier could sneak into the country via the U.S.-Mexico border.

Three other people from South Korea — another country with rapidly spreading cases — have also been arrested at the border, as have 122 people from the Dominican Republican, where the coronavirus has now been detected.

All told, more than 1,000 migrants a day are caught attempting to sneak in illegally from Mexico, which detected its first case last week, and since has identified five others.

And if that many are being caught each day, an unknown but significant number are getting through undetected, Border Patrol agents say.

“The journey to the U.S. border puts migrants in poor conditions,” a Homeland Security official told The Washington Times. “We don’t know if they have come into contact with someone who has the flu, there is no passport, medical history, or travel manifest.”

President Trump last week had floated the possibility of closing border crossings between the U.S. and Mexico, though this week he downplayed that option, saying he didn’t see the border as much of a vulnerability.

“We’re not seeing a lot of evidence in that area,” he said — though he added, “We’re closing it, I guess, automatically because we have a very strong border there now.”

Homeland Security officials, though, say it is a vulnerability.

Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad F. Wolf raised the issue Tuesday with the House Homeland Security Committee, saying that illegal immigration presents a unique threat compared to legal travelers from China, who are being screened on arrival.

Mexico creates new complications, after the U.S. has forced tens of thousands of asylum-seekers to wait in that country while their cases are proceeding in American immigration courts.

Late last week a federal court issued a ruling that could result in thousands of them being admitted immediately.

The ruling was stayed, but Mr. Wolf said it could be a danger spot should the courts demand their entry.

Rep. Val Demings, Florida Democrat, chastised Mr. Wolf for drawing a connection between illegal immigration and the virus. “You were not, surely, suggesting that the problem that we are seeing in this country with the coronavirus is the result of — or was caused by undocumented immigrants coming across the south border. Is that what you’re saying?”

Mr. Wolf said he wasn’t pinning the current spread of the virus here on illegal immigration, but said the border is a risk factor.

Ms. Demmings demanded to know if he was ordered by higher-ups to tie immigration to the virus.

He said he was not.

So far none of the confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. have been tied to the border.

Coronavirus was identified last year in China, and has quickly frightened much of the world.

The U.S. has funneled travelers arriving from China into a select set of American airports, where they can be screened.

But that’s not possible with those crossing the border — particularly those who evade detection altogether.

There is no good public estimate of how many people avoid capture and make it to the interior, though some agents use a rough calculation of one got-away for every one that’s caught.

Many would-be undocumented immigrants from China try to enter by being smuggled in cars through the official border crossings, though an increasing number are now being snared by the Border Patrol after they’ve already gotten in.

In one case in January agents stopped a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck and found 10 Chinese migrants piled on top of each other in the truck, along with five Mexican migrants. The truck driver had been trying to avoid detection by blending in with border wall construction crews.

One of the Chinese men said he was paying up to 40,000 Chinese Yuan to be smuggled into the U.S. — or about $5,750.

In another incident last month agents in Arizona spotted three Chinese migrants as they were picked up by smugglers. The Chinese men said their church had paid to smuggle them into Mexico, where another branch of the church connected them with smugglers who brought them into the U.S.

 

[dbc]

@Hamartia Antidote you mean 328 Chinese citizens tried to illegally enter the United States from Texas/ Mexico in 2020 - but its only early March?

The TexasInsider report does not state the year and its unclear if this 328 count is from Texas or extends to Arizona and other states bordering Mexico.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

@Hamartia Antidote you mean 328 Chinese citizens tried to illegally enter the United States from Texas/ Mexico in 2020 - but its only early March?

The TexasInsider report does not state the year and its unclear if this 328 count is from Texas or extends to Arizona and other states bordering Mexico.

It sounds like the entire Southern border.

 

[jericho]

By the numbers: Illegal Immigrants apprehended at the southern border since January 1:

• China: 328
• South Korea: 3

Surprised to see Chinese (such a high figure) and even more surprised to see South Koreans trying to enter US illegally. Don't usually see those 2 nationalities associated with illegal border crossings, especially South Koreans