US-China Collaboration Resumes for Deportation of Undocumented Immigrants” or “Deportation Partnership Revived between US and China amid Tense Relations

Following a suspension in cooperation due to a visit by former House speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan, the United States and China have silently resumed collaborations aimed at deporting undocumented Chinese immigrants residing in America. This renewed partnership comes as both nations attempt to mend connections after President Joe Biden met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in California last year. After halting high-level military-to-military dialogues, collaboration on anti-narcotics, and talks on climate change, Beijing and Washington witnessed a significant fall in relations. According to data from The Associated Press, the US Department of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, revealed that discussions were underway with his Chinese counterpart to guarantee that China accepts the deportation of individuals lacking legal authorization to live in the US. In April, Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell expressed displeasure regarding Beijing’s failure to suppress Chinese migratory flows, while Beijing retorted that they “strongly oppose any form of illicit migration” and “severely crack down” on related organizations. A charter aircraft carrying a small number of detainees returned to mainland China from the US on March 30, according to reports from Witness at the Border, an advocacy organization tracking deportation flights. Nonetheless, it remains uncertain when the cooperation recommenced. The plane, which departed from Arizona, passed through Texas and Alaska en route to China, where it stopped briefly in South Korea before returning to the US. The Gulfstream V, which accommodates fourteen passengers, was reportedly used for the transportation, as per sources from Witness at the Border. The number of Chinese immigrants deported on the March 30th flight was relatively modest due to the plane’s limited passenger capacity. Last year, US border authorities apprehended more than 37,000 Chinese citizens attempting to enter the country illegally via Mexico, representing a tenfold increase compared to the previous year’s figures, worsening immigration concerns ahead of the upcoming presidential elections. Beijing’s decision to halt cooperation in August 2022 resulted in a substantial surge in Chinese immigrants attempting to enter the US through Mexico. Ken Moritsugu, The Associated Press’ Beijing correspondent, contributed to this report.