As illegal crossings at the southern border have plummeted under President Trump’s restored enforcement policies, a new concern is growing up north. Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, says the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be using Vancouver, Canada, as a launchpad to funnel illegal aliens—and potentially operatives—into the United States.
“It would be logical if they’re trying to come across the northern border instead,” Krikorian told Fox News Digital. “There are lots of Chinese people in Vancouver… a very large Chinese and Hong Kong population.”
That population, he says, provides convenient cover. Not because it’s “teeming with spies,” but because it creates a sea in which dangerous actors can swim undetected. “Whether they’re regular criminals or People’s Liberation Army operatives, a Chinese community gives them a medium through which to move where they’re not alien.”
He compared it to a quote from Mao Zedong: “The people are like the sea and the revolutionaries are like the fish.”
According to Customs and Border Protection (CBP), 4,042 Chinese nationals have been caught crossing the U.S. northern border so far in fiscal year 2025. That number was 12,414 last year, meaning that while the overall flow may be down, the threat remains very real.
Krikorian says many enter Canada legitimately through tourist or student visas. From there, smugglers—possibly with ties to the CCP—facilitate their journey into the U.S. “A lot of them must be hiring smugglers… It’s harder than it looks,” he noted.
While he’s not sounding the alarm on a massive spy network flooding into the U.S. just yet, Krikorian said it would be naïve to assume the CCP isn’t watching closely—and waiting. Under Trump, the strong border has made it harder for China to act. But under past administrations like Biden’s, Krikorian warns, the CCP had every incentive to exploit weak enforcement and long-established smuggling routes.
“It would make perfect sense that they (the CCP) would use preexisting Chinese communities and networks as the medium through which they get into Canada and then kind of a jumping-off point to get into the United States,” he said.
And even if most of these migrants are coming to work low-wage jobs, that doesn’t mean the PLA isn’t slipping in a few agents for long-term purposes—sleeper operatives who can blend into a community for years.
“Does anybody think the Chinese Communist Party is stupid enough not to have taken advantage of this opportunity Biden gave them? No,” Krikorian said.
In the last year of the Biden administration, China-linked migration exploded. DHS and CBP were overwhelmed by record-breaking southern border crossings. Now, as Trump’s crackdown has dramatically slashed encounters in the south, attention is turning to softer spots—like the Great Lakes region and forested areas between U.S. border stations.
And there’s reason for alarm: these areas are often remote, poorly guarded, and rarely get the kind of attention lavished on southern border hot zones.
“What if,” Krikorian warned, “the northern border becomes the backdoor?”
That backdoor could already be cracked open.
While the majority of those crossing from Canada may be seeking economic opportunity, Krikorian insists the CCP’s patient strategy should not be underestimated. He believes they’re willing to wait—placing operatives quietly now and activating them later.
In other words: what looks like dishwashers today might become cyber-spies, infrastructure saboteurs, or intelligence moles tomorrow.
So far, the Trump administration has not publicly addressed this northern threat in detail. But Krikorian’s warning may force DHS and Congress to take a closer look—especially as Chinese aggression escalates abroad and foreign interference fears loom ahead of the 2026 midterms.
With the southern border under control for the first time in years, the focus must now turn north—before America’s enemies swim in through calm Canadian waters.
