7 August 2024

Chinese Migrants Rush to Find Way to U.S. Border Before Doors Close

Wenxin Fan

New measures to stem the flow of Chinese migrants into the U.S. over the southern border have set off a scramble of would-be asylum seekers from the world’s second-largest economy, with many spurred to take new risks by the possibility of a second Trump presidency.

Some are now attempting to start their overland journeys from as far away as La Paz, Bolivia, roughly 7,000 miles and nine border crossings from Tijuana, the final stop in Mexico for many trying to make it into the U.S.

The government of Ecuador suspended visa-free arrivals for Chinese nationals on July 1, closing the most popular access point for Chinese migrants hoping to reach the border. The move was welcomed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which two days later deported 116 Chinese migrants on a charter flight from Texas to the northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang.

Chinese officials, meanwhile, have been making examples of those caught and punished for the attempt.

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