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12.29.2008

smuggling of chinese illegal immigrants on the rise

According to this story, recent busts by immigration authorities in Houston seem to indicate an upswing in attempts to illegally smuggle Chinese citizens into and through the region in the past six months: Smuggling of Chinese into Texas is on the rise.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are deporting five Chinese citizens after the interception of a private plane that flew this month to Wharton from the Texas-Mexico border loaded with the immigrants.

This is just one incident out of several that have occurred in the last few months. The local increase seems to mirror a nationwide jump in illegal Chinese immigrants in the U.S. this decade—49 percent since 2000. And with it... the anti-immigrant rhetoric. You know it's happening.