Inside the Boom in Chinese Migrants at the Southern Border

Thousands of Chinese migrants and asylum seekers have arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border in recent months, and many more are heading north after passing through the treacherous Darién Gap jungle between Colombia and Panama.

Why it matters: It’s another example of people from well beyond the Americas seeking refuge in the U.S. through the southwest border — and reflects the ongoing backlash to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s harsh domestic policies.

    “So the word is out, right?,” Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, a Texas border Democrat, told Axios. “If you can get to our southern border, you have pretty good shot at getting in, and it has changed the demographics.”...

During the first two months of this year, nearly 2,200 Chinese nationals have crossed into Panama through the thick jungle of the Darién Gap, according to migration data from Panama’s government...