Influx of illegal Chinese migrants threatens US territory, island must show 'strength of the nation'

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EXCLUSIVE: Rep. James Moylan of Guam warned that the territory is being "infiltrated" by an influx of illegal Chinese migrants, and told Fox News Digital he is seeking aid from the Biden administration to combat the matter and protect the island – something that he says is critical for the United States’ deterrence efforts against the Chinese Communist Party.

Moylan, a Republican, is the delegate from Guam. He was elected in 2022 as the island territory's non-voting U.S. congressional delegate.

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Moylan told Fox News Digital that, for years, Guam has been "infiltrated by droves of illegal Chinese migrants embarking on our shores."

The majority of the "illegal Chinese aliens coming are often from the Northern Mariana Islands," he said.

Moylan warned that the Chinese are working to "steal into the environment."

Rep. James Moylan told Fox News Digital that, for years, Guam has been "infiltrated by droves of illegal Chinese migrants embarking on our shores." (Territory of Guam/Handout via Reuters)

"It’s a great threat," he said, pointing to the possibility that the Chinese on the islands could be working to gather intelligence on behalf of the CCP in Guam and around the U.S. military bases on the island.

Moylan pointed to reports from just last month, revealing a boat captain and three others were charged with transporting Chinese nationals illegally to Guam. Also last month, the U.S. Coast Guard rescued six Chinese nationals on a sinking boat just north of the island. Moylan also pointed to a report that in June, more than two dozen Chinese nationals came to Guam by boat. 

But Moylan told Fox News Digital that Guam’s local government is limited in the action it can take, as it is a "federal issue," but told Fox News Digital the territory is not receiving the help needed from the Biden administration.

Last month, Moylan attempted to reach U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement related to "concerns on PRC migrants entering Guam illegally." 

"With the rising tensions of the PRC within the Indo-Pacific region, where Guam’s proximity plays an integral role, it is concerning that PRC Nationals are entering the island through such precarious routes," Moylan warned in a letter to ICE last month. "While we are certain that some are here to find a means to earn an income through under the radar jobs, there are still the risks at play with bad actors coming to the table with other intentions." 

In this Dec. 15, 2016, photo, provided by the U.S. Navy, the Seawolf-class fast-attack submarine USS Connecticut (SSN 22) departs Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for sea trials following a maintenance availability. (Thiep Van Nguyen II/U.S. Navy via AP)

Moylan requested that ICE investigate the matter and take "action," specifically related to drug trafficking to the territory. Moylan cited the recent discovery of 60 pounds of cocaine found on a Guam beach.

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Moylan told Fox News Digital that he has yet to receive a response from ICE.

ICE did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Moylan also told Fox News Digital that Guam has experienced hacking of malware on the island from the Chinese Communist Party. 

FBI Director Christopher Wray warned lawmakers on Capitol Hill Wednesday that Chinese hackers are preparing to "wreak havoc and cause real-world harm to American citizens and communities." 

Moylan said the CCP has "made attempts on Guam with our military services," and have "hacked into our communications." 

"They're continuously trying to work their way in," Moylan told Fox News Digital. 

But Moylan said because Guam is the "most western U.S. soil there is," there is "so much investment" into the island and "the protection of Guam and the defense of the nation." 

"So when we have these attacks ongoing, it's very scary," he said. "And I knew what I know, we're doing what we can to protect, but the attention needs to be really put back on Guam to protect our U.S. citizens there, to protect our military there as well." 

He added that Wray's warning to Congress on CCP hacking was "so important" because it "really, already is happening on our territory." 

Guam is the westernmost U.S. territory in the Indo-Pacific region and home to approximately 170,000 U.S. citizens. The Department of Defense owns approximately a quarter of the land on Guam and has a military force of nearly 7,000 active-duty service members on the island.

Four B-1B Lancers assigned to the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, deployed from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, arrive on Feb. 6, 2017, at Andersen AFB, Guam. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Richard P. Ebensberger)

Guam hosts Naval Base Guam, the Navy’s only submarine base in the western Pacific, as well as Anderson Air Force Base – a large air base that is able to host U.S. strategic bombers and fighters.

But Guam is significantly closer to Beijing than it is to Hawaii, and is within range of nuclear-capable missiles owned by the People’s Republic of China and North Korea.

U.S. officials have warned that China has spent decades developing both short- and intermediate-range missiles that can target Guam.

Xi Jinping delivers a speech at a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China in Beijing, July 1, 2021. (Ju Peng/Xinhua via Getty Images)

Moylan warned of Chinese missiles like the DF-26 IRBM, which has an estimated range of 1,000 to 3,000 km. The range would put Guam in reach. The missile has been dubbed the "Guam Killer," Moylan said.

"This is where America’s day begins – we’re on the other side of the dateline. The sun rises first on Guam," Moylan told Fox News Digital. "If things are going to happen, China is looking at us."

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Moylan explained that "every war game scenario that is played out involves Guam because of our location."

The National Defense Authorization Act of 2024 authorized funding to support military infrastructure and a missile defense system for Guam. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Alexander W. Riedel)

"We have to protect the island, and we can and Congress has done a really great job at that," Moylan said.

Moylan said he is feeling bipartisan support in Congress, and pointed to the bipartisan congressional delegations from the House Armed Services Committee that visited Guam. 

Moylan said there is an emphasis on the attention to the island to ensure the United States and Guam are "strong enough to deter the Communist Chinese Party and the interest they have with our fellow nations that are involved like Japan, the Philippines, and Taiwan." 

Moylan also touted the National Defense Authorization Act of 2024, which authorized funding to support military infrastructure and a missile defense system for Guam.

"We know what our aggressors have – what the CCP has – and we need to defeat that," Moylan said. "If Guam is able to defeat their attacks on the island, which we hope doesn’t happen, because we’re all about deterrence, but if it does, we can destroy that element before it hits Guam."

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Moylan stressed that Guam, due to its location, will show China "the strength of the nation."

"That’s why it is so important for us to have this buildup happening," he said.

Moylan told Fox News Digital that Guam, strategically, is "so important" to the United States’ national security.

"We need to focus on the protection of the people, the protection of our military forces," Moylan said. "We need to show the strength of the nation and to maintain the essential operation bases and the peace within the Indo-Pacific."