The number of Turkish migrants crossing the southern border illegally has skyrocketed under the Biden administration, invited by smugglers who sell and organize crossings on social media boasting about how easy it is, The Post can reveal.
There were roughly 1,400 Turkish migrants encountered by border agents along the US-Mexico border in fiscal year 2021, which exploded to more than 15,000 each in fiscal years 2022 and 2023, according to federal data.
Most of the Turkish border crossers who came last year crossed into the San Diego border region — which earlier this year became the busiest entry point in the nation for migrants entering the US illegally.
Translated Turkish language Telegram channels reviewed by The Post provide detailed accounts of the help these migrants receive to make their journeys to the US.
The smugglers’ advertise a route to Tijuana, Mexico, via Cancun, offering secure flights and travel across the border, encouraging migrants to not “delay your dreams.”
The group also includes photos and videos as proof that smugglers are successful in getting migrants through Mexico and onto the US.
“Our passenger had passed in Cancunda [sic] without any problem. If anyone wants to go, contact me,” one post reads.
Videos on the Telegram channels seen by The Post show the migrants successfully arriving to Cancun, where some can be seen vacationing at hotels and showing off their stamped passports.
There are also videos posted by what appear to be smugglers guiding migrants along a path leading them to the California border from Tijuana.
Migrants can also be seen in a tent encampment along the border in California, where large groups have amassed to wait for overwhelmed Border Patrol agents to pick them up and process them.
Messages in the groups also reveal there is concern from migrants hoping to come to the US about the upcoming presidential election in November and over the state of Texas’ strict border crackdown.
“There is no problem at the Tijuana border. Our wish is that there won’t be any. The situation does not spread [sic] from the Texas Juarez border to other border gates. Because Texas wants to leave the USA,” one message in the Telegram chat reads.
“Since Trump has fallen, the democrats will leave the gates alone for another year,” reads another message.
“I hope it won’t close after November. Good luck for those who will come later.”
Border agents in San Diego have apprehended more than 52,000 ‘special interest’ migrants — labeled as such because of terrorism or other national security issues associated with their countries of origin — caught since October, Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens recently said.
Sources within Border Patrol confirm Turkish migrants are part of the special interest category.
“Unfortunately, California is a sanctuary state and all migrants are now focused on California due to the enforcement efforts in Texas and Arizona.
“All agents are concerned due to the vulnerability of security to [access] our nation,” National Border Patrol Council President for the San Diego sector Manny Bayon told The Post.
A Turkish migrant who crossed into the San Diego border region recently told Fox News he’s concerned about the migrants who are coming across himself, and expressed fears bad people will be seizing on lax border control.
“Who comes into this country? They don’t know. OK, I’m good, but how if they’re not good? How if they’re killers, psychopath, else? No guarantee of that. Like, no security check, no background check,” the migrant said.
One border agent working in the region echoed the migrant’s concerns, telling The Post the reality is that the migrants aren’t being properly vetted even when they are taken into custody and questioned.
“[It’s] not [going] well. I wouldn’t say there’s good vetting going on,” the agent admitted.
