China said it is ready to receive Chinese nationals entering the United States unlawfully, amid the ongoing massive crackdown on illegal immigration by the Trump administration.
Newsweek has emailed both the White House and U.S. State Department for comment.
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump made immigration a central theme of his successful presidential campaign and Americans largely support his mass deportation plans.
A New York Times/Ipsos poll, carried out from January 2 to 10, found 55 percent of voters strongly or somewhat supported such plans. Eighty-eight percent supported “Deporting immigrants who are here illegally and have criminal records.” Large majorities of both Democrats and Republicans agreed that the immigration system is broken.
Trump signed executive orders that have paved the way for mass deportations of illegal immigrants in the first days of his second presidency, which included the deployment of active-duty soldiers to help secure the U.S.-Mexico border.
The number of Chinese migrants being arrested at the U.S.-Mexico border soared from over 24,000 in 2023 to 36,500 in 2024. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security deported at least three groups of illegal Chinese migrants back to China last year.
What To Know
“As far as repatriation is concerned, China’s principle is to receive the repatriates who are confirmed as Chinese nationals from the Chinese mainland after verification,” said Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, at a press conference on Monday.
The spokesperson’s remarks were in response to a Bloomberg reporter’s question on the intensified U.S. immigration enforcement, including whether China intended to take back all Chinese nationals who are in the U.S. illegally or without documentation.
China opposes illegal migration, the spokesperson said, adding that Chinese authorities have cooperated with the U.S. and other nations on migration, which has been productive.
On Sunday Colombia agreed to accept deportation flights of Colombian nationals who entered the U.S. illegally after Trump threatened tariffs. The White House claimed that the events made clear to the world that “America is respected again.”
On the U.S.-Colombia dispute over deported migrants, the Chinese spokesperson said this was an issue between the two countries, which China hopes they will properly resolve.
Min Zhou, director of the UCLA Asia Pacific Center, previously told Newsweek that the strict COVID-19 policy in China and dismal economic prospects, as well as the uncertain political situation in the country, have pushed many Chinese nationals to head to America.
What People Are Saying
U.S. President Donald Trump said in an executive order signed on January 20: “Enforcing our Nation’s immigration laws is critically important to the national security and public safety of the United States. The American people deserve a Federal Government that puts their interests first and a Government that understands its sacred obligation to prioritize the safety, security, and financial and economic well-being of Americans.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a press conference on Monday: “Let me say more broadly that the Chinese government firmly opposes any form of illegal migration. We have conducted practical cooperation with the migration and law enforcement departments of the U.S. and other countries, which has been productive.”
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether Washington and Beijing will continue their cooperation by arranging deportation flights of Chinese nationals who entered the U.S. unlawfully.
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