WASHINGTON – On January 6, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), through U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), conducted the fifth large-frame charter removal flight in less than seven months to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) of Chinese nationals with final orders of removal from the United States. These flights were the product of sustained cooperation between the Department and PRC counterparts to repatriate individuals who have not established a legal basis to remain in the United States. DHS will continue to work with the PRC in the coming months to combat human smuggling and deter irregular migration through coordinated efforts. In fact, this cooperation has contributed to a 62% percent decrease in PRC nationals encountered at the U.S. Southwest Border (SWB), from 2,160 PRC nationals encountered irregularly at the SWB in June 2024 and 820 in December 2024 since the end of June 2024 when removal flights began.
DHS is enforcing U.S. immigration laws and delivering tough consequences for those who enter unlawfully or without authorization. This includes swiftly returning those without a legal basis to remain in the United States, while encouraging the use of safe, lawful, and orderly pathways; holding transnational criminal networks accountable for abusing our lawful trade and travel systems; and preventing the smuggling and exploitation of vulnerable people. Since the June 4 Presidential Proclamation on Securing the Border and accompanying Interim Final Rule, which was finalized on September 30 subsequent to an updated Proclamation, went into effect, there has been a continued, meaningful decrease in unlawful border crossings – including a more than 70% decrease in encounters between ports of entry along the southwest border.
“The Chinese nationals removed this week to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) add to the hundreds who have been removed for not having a legal basis to remain in the U.S. This is the fourth such removal flight that we have arranged with officials from the PRC, said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. It is one element of our multi-pronged approach to border security, which has delivered border crossing levels that are lower than they were in 2019. Our multi-pronged approach includes tough consequences for illegal border crossing, extensive engagement with foreign countries, and the development of safe and lawful pathways for people to access humanitarian relief under our laws.”
DHS regularly engages counterparts throughout the hemisphere and around the world to accept removals of their nationals with final orders of removal from the United States. From the implementation of the June 4 Proclamation through the end of November, DHS has operated more than 740 international repatriation flights to more than 160 countries—including the PRC, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Egypt, Mauritania, Senegal, Uzbekistan, and India. In the previous fiscal year, FY2024, DHS removed or returned more than 742,000 individuals, more than any year since FY2010. Efforts to expand removal flights continue.
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