
The Biden administration has implemented a new policy that fast-tracks the interview vetting process for Chinese migrants who have illegally crossed the southern border. This move has raised concerns about potential security threats and the ability to identify dangerous individuals.
According to leaked documents and emails, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has instructed Border Patrol agents to reduce the number of interview questions posed to Chinese migrants from approximately 40 to just five. The new policy states that Chinese migrants are only required to answer basic questions related to their military service, universities attended, place of birth, employment, and political party affiliation.
However, individuals who have served in the military attended certain universities, are from Xinjiang, or are affiliated with the Communist Party of China are referred for an in-depth interview by the Tactical Terrorism Response Team. Those who have worked as government employees or in industries such as science, technology, medicine, or finance are also subjected to additional questioning.
In contrast, most apprehended illegal immigrants are asked a significantly longer list of questions, including information about prior arrests, purpose of travel, phone details, foreign address, religion, social media accounts, and even the names of their parents.
Critics argue that this policy change not only speeds up the processing time for Chinese illegal immigrants but it also makes it more difficult for border agents to identify potential security threats. Retired CBP deputy patrol agent J.J. Carrell expressed concern that dangerous Chinese illegal immigrants could still be released into the United States under this new policy.
Carrell suggests that while the government acknowledges the threat posed by Chinese soldiers and spies, they are not willing to stop the flow of illegal aliens or Chinese nationals altogether. The intention seems to be to identify and detain only the “bad ones,” which Carrell believes is impossible.
There are also concerns that human smugglers will take advantage of the expedited process by coaching Chinese migrants on how to answer the limited set of questions to move through the vetting process quickly.
Under this new policy, Chinese illegal migrants who answer the basic questions could be released into the United States and given a court date that is several years away. Before the reduction in interview questions, it took agents approximately four hours to process one Chinese illegal immigrant.
Implementing this policy has sparked debates about national security, immigration procedures, and the effectiveness of the vetting process. Critics argue that the reduced interview questions could compromise the safety and well-being of the American people. In contrast, proponents argue that it streamlines the immigration system and allows for a more efficient use of resources.