'An existential threat!' Greg Abbott issues warning over 'extraordinary danger' after surge in illegal Chinese migrants

'An existential threat!' Greg Abbott issues warning over 'extraordinary danger' after surge in illegal Chinese migrants

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Holly Bishop

By Holly Bishop


Published: 04/12/2023

- 19:54

More than 24,000 of Chinese nationals have crossed the southern border this fiscal year

Greg Abbott has slammed Joe Biden’s "open border policies", labelling them an "existential threat" after the southern border witnessed an influx of illegal Chinese migrants.

Since the beginning of the fiscal year, more than 24,000 Chinese nationals have crossed the southern border and come into the United States.


That is more than the previous 10 years combined, according to government data.

Over the past decade, fewer than 15,000 Chinese migrants were caught crossing the southern border illegally.

WATCH NOW: Migrants crossing the border

Abbott told Fox News: "It is extraordinarily dangerous because, first of all, as you point out, we have people from China coming here. We also have people on the known terrorist watch list who are coming across the border. And so there's extraordinary dangers, calls to our country by Biden's open border policies."

The Texas Governor also slammed Biden for his lack of action surrounding the situation.

He said: "Biden is doing nothing about it. And that's why Texas has to step up and apprehend as many of these people as possible to make sure that they're not posing a threat to our country.

"But this is a very serious existential threat to our country caused by Joe Biden. And that's exactly why Texas is taking extraordinary steps to try to crack down on it."

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Texas Governor Greg AbbottTexas Governor Greg Abbott has torn into Biden over the migrant crisisREUTERS

Customs and Border Protection sources have said that since October 1, over 6,500 Chinese nationals have entered the US, Fox News reports.

Alongside Chinese migrants, hundreds of Afghans and other nationalities, have evaded border control to cross through Mexico.

Earlier today, a Republican congressman urged for the deployment of Arizona’s National Guard to the southern border after a huge increase in illegal migrant crossings.

Juan Ciscomani, who serves as the US representative for Arizona's 6th congressional district, made the request after nearly 10,000 people crossed the border in a single day last week.

He said that the Tucson Sector of the border had been overwhelmed by the number of crossings with urgent support needed for border patrol officials.

Migrants crossing the US borderMigrants crossing the US borderREUTERS

"The situation is far past a breaking point and those on the frontlines of this crisis are in need of immediate support," Ciscomani wrote in his letter demanding help.

"Tucson Sector is leading in encounters and our agents and officers are overrun and undermanned."

He sent his plea to Director of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas.

Biden's administration previously deployed troops to the border earlier this year in anticipation of a surge in migrant crossings.

Illegal border crossings have surged in the US in recent years.

The 2022 fiscal year set a record high of 2.2 million illegal border crossings.

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