Republican lawmakers and a former immigration official are sounding a new alarm about the national security threats facing the U.S. at the U.S.-Mexico border.

“I think every American should be scared to death. Not only is it the terrorist threat, we’ve had almost 400 [suspected terrorists] in this presidency where there were 11 last time, but its the 24,000 Chinese nationals who came in last year, 20,000 Since October 1, the highest year. Before that was 1800,” said Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, during a discussion at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Thursday about illegal immigrant encounters at the border.

“You don’t leave China with the social credit score system unless the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] knows about it. They’re flying to South America and Central America and they’re coming up here; they’re paying $60,000 to the cartels, which is enriching the cartels, terrible organizations, they’re subhuman. And we’re basically feeding them money and letting these individuals come into the United States,” he added.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection data shows that 24,048 Chinese citizens were encountered at the U.S.-Mexico border in fiscal year 2023, which ended in September. According to press reports, that figure is more than 12 times the total from the fiscal year 2022.

It is also a more than 7,000% increase from 2021, when just 323 Chinese nationals crossed the border during strict pandemic travel bans and lockdowns.

Green elaborated on the danger of large numbers of Chinese nationalists getting stopped at the border and what it could mean for the U.S. in the near future.

“I’m not suggesting that China is going to be attacking the United States, but if we defend Taiwan, I can’t imagine there aren’t people in there who are going to be tracking our railheads and looking at our ports,” he said. “And who knows what else. We’ve had mass waves of Chinese terrorists storming military installations with cameras. So look, it’s a desperate threat.”

Green also emphasized that the amount of fentanyl coming into the U.S. from the border makes every town in America a border town.

In fiscal year 2023, more than 27 pounds of fentanyl was intercepted at the border, according to CBP statistics.

“And then the fentanyl; that little baby that was crawling around on a floor in a VRBO in Florida died because the previous tenant had left fentanyl. There isn’t an American who is safe right now because of this open border and the failure of this secretary,” Green said, referring to the House recently voting to impeach Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas.

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., has said that “invasion of fentanyl into this country is a Chinese communist plot to poison Americans.”

“Military age men from China and all over the world are flooding into America through the Democrats’ open border,” he wrote on X last week. “It is a clear and present danger that Biden has the authority to address but chooses not to.”

Tom Homan, former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said former President Trump had illegal immigration down to a 45-year low and Biden turned back the clock.

“Joe Biden is the first president in the history of this nation who came in office and unsecured border on purpose,” he said. Homan rejected criticism that Trump’s border policies were inhumane.

“Let me tell you something, President Trump had illegal immigration down to the 45-year low. Illegal immigration was down 83% to 90%,” he said. “President Trump’s policies saved lives…Since Biden’s been in office, there’s been over 1,700 dead migrants crossing the border, a historic record, and 112,000 dead Americans from fentanyl poisonings.”

Homan said Trump would preside over the largest deportation force if re-elected after millions of illegal immigrants were released into the U.S. from the border under President Biden.

According to a recent report, the number of southwest land border encounters has totaled 7,298,486 under Biden.

“For the millions of illegal aliens who have been released in this country, don’t get too comfortable, because we’re coming looking for you,” Homan said. Homan also said there has been a 600% increase in sex trafficking of women and children under Biden’s presidency.

“I don’t care what your opinion is on illegal immigration when you cause a crisis this big, on purpose. It’s the biggest national security threat this nation has been ever had,” he said.

Homan argued that the Biden administration hasn’t held Mexico accountable for the record number of illegal drugs and illegal immigrants coming through Mexico.

“The country of Mexico is not doing a damn thing about criminal cartels who have killed more Americans than any terrorist organization. President Trump would declare them a terrorist organization. He’ll send a Hellfire rocket down there, you know, and take the cartels out because they need to be taken out. They’ve killed over 100,000 Americans,” he said.

“This administration hasn’t held Mexico accountable. They haven’t held China accountable for creating all the fentanyl that they’re selling to the cartels. This administration is sitting back and watching this country get destroyed,” he added.

Gov. Kristi Noem, R-S.D., a potential GOP vice presidential nominee, warned on Thursday that “China is working everyday to infiltrate the U.S.”

“We have criminals & terrorists flowing across our Southern Border. I’ve been proud to take action to combat both of these threats,” Noem wrote on X.