Craig Singleton, a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), stated that the "unprecedented surge in Chinese illegal immigration" has posed security threats to the U.S. He made this statement on May 16 during a Congressional hearing titled "Chinese Immigration Over the U.S. Southwest Border."
"Thank you for the opportunity to testify today about the unprecedented surge in Chinese illegal immigration at our southern border,” Singleton said," said Singleton, according to Homeland Security Committee.
Singleton testified before the House Homeland Security Committee's Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability during a hearing led by Subcommittee Chairman Dan Bishop (R-NC). Along with Singleton, testimonies were also provided by Simon R. Hankinson, a Senior Fellow at the Heritage Foundation; Todd Bensman, Senior Fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS); and Dr. Meredith Oyen, a professor of History and Asian Studies at the University of Maryland.
According to Bensman's testimony, since President Biden took office, the number of Chinese encounters at the border has increased from around 12 a month to almost 6,000 during 2024. There have been 50,000 U.S. Border Patrol encounters with Chinese nationals, 43,000 of whom were designated as single adults. Of these 50,000, 35,000 entered via Mexico’s Baja State into California, while most others entered the U.S. in Texas.
In 2023, Ecuador saw over 45,000 Chinese entrants in the first 11 months due to its no visa requirement for Chinese nationals. According to Singleton’s testimony, these migrants used networks of Chinese-run businesses to aid their journey and eventually gathered near the US-Mexico border, especially around San Diego. While he recognized that many Chinese immigrants are fleeing persecution from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Singleton also said that the influx of migrants increases the "potential risks related to Chinese state-directed espionage and the exploitation of migrants by transnational criminal networks."
According to Singleton’s testimony, Chinese nationals crossing the US-Mexico border are driven by various motivations including dissatisfaction with China's pandemic restrictions and economic conditions as well as a desire for greater freedoms. The visa-free travel to Latin American countries and perceptions of weak US border enforcement have incentivized illegal migration. Singleton said that this surge introduces security concerns as Chinese migrants are vulnerable to coercion by Chinese intelligence agencies under China's stringent national security laws. Additionally, he noted that Chinese organized crime networks exploit these migrants for smuggling activities.
Singleton recommended several measures including forming a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) task force, upgrading screening technologies, dismantling criminal smuggling networks, increasing resources for border personnel, enhancing international cooperation, and clearly communicating to potential migrants about the risks and realities of illegal crossing. These initiatives would "consider a range of strategic opportunities that can enhance security measures while ensuring humane treatment of migrants," he said.
Craig Singleton is also identified as the China Program Director and Senior Fellow at FDD according to their website. He works on projects such as the China Program and International Organizations Program among others.
