Congressional Republicans are advancing sweeping legislation to shut down alleged Chinese police stations operating on American soil, as concerns mount over Beijing’s covert surveillance and harassment networks targeting Chinese dissidents and nationals living in the United States.
Key Insights
- The Expel Illegal Chinese Police Act of 2025 (H.R.2127), introduced by Rep. Ashley Hinson and Sen. Tom Cotton, aims to dismantle over 100 suspected Chinese police stations operating in U.S. cities including New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
- The FBI has already taken action against these operations, raiding a Manhattan station in 2022 and arresting two individuals who were allegedly acting as agents of the Chinese Communist Party.
- The legislation would impose sanctions, asset freezes, and visa restrictions on Chinese officials and individuals involved in operating these illegal stations on American soil.
- These stations are reportedly part of China’s “Operation Fox Hunt” and “Operation Sky Net,” which have returned approximately 10,000 Chinese fugitives to China since 2014.
- The bill has garnered support from multiple Republican representatives who view these operations as direct threats to U.S. sovereignty and national security.
Uncovering China’s Covert Operations in America
Evidence of Chinese Communist Party operations on American soil has mounted in recent years, culminating in concrete law enforcement actions. In 2023, the Department of Justice indicted two New York residents for “conspiring to act as agents” of the CCP and for obstruction of justice by destroying evidence. These individuals were operating a secret police station in Manhattan’s Chinatown that aided the Chinese government in monitoring and repressing Chinese dissidents living in the United States. The FBI raid of this Manhattan outpost in 2022 marked the first public action against such facilities, though investigations suggest the U.S. government had been aware of these operations since early 2022.
According to investigations, there are at least 102 known or suspected Chinese overseas police stations operating in 53 countries worldwide. Several have been identified in major U.S. cities, establishing a concerning network of surveillance and influence within American borders. These stations function as extensions of the Chinese security apparatus, operating outside diplomatic channels and without U.S. government authorization or knowledge. Their activities represent what Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen described as actions that “go far beyond the bounds of acceptable nation-state conduct.”
Congressional Republicans are targeting Chinese police stations operating in the US with new legislation designed to counter the Chinese Communist Party's foreign influence operations. | @jameslynch32 https://t.co/lpBhHzFk7Y
— National Review (@NRO) March 19, 2025
The Legislative Response
In response to these threats, Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) and Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) have introduced the Expel Illegal Chinese Police Act of 2025. The legislation aims to identify, sanction, and prosecute individuals operating illegal Chinese police stations on U.S. soil. The bill would impose financial sanctions, visa restrictions, and asset freezes on entities and individuals involved in these operations while strengthening legal mechanisms to designate and prosecute those engaged in these activities. It also enhances penalties for individuals affiliated with China’s United Front Work Department who harass or coerce U.S. residents and Chinese dissidents.
“The Chinese Communist Party should have never been able to operate police stations in the U.S. to surveil American citizens and harass Chinese citizens who have fled the Communist regime. We should find, prosecute, and sanction any Chinese Communist Party official involved in standing up police stations on U.S. soil. Senator Tom Cotton and I are working to end these illegal intimidation tactics that undermine U.S. sovereignty and finally hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable for such egregious violations,” Congresswoman Ashley Hinson said.
The legislation has attracted significant Republican support, with original sponsors including Representatives Robert Aderholt (R-AL), Troy Balderson (R-OH), Neal Dunn (R-FL), Zach Nunn (R-IA), Stephanie Bice (R-OK), and Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ). These lawmakers view the bill as essential to protecting American sovereignty and defending Chinese dissidents living in the United States who have fled persecution by the Chinese government. President Trump’s administration is expected to prioritize this legislation as part of its broader strategy to counter Chinese influence operations.
China’s Global Campaign of Harassment
The Chinese government’s efforts to extend its reach beyond its borders began formally in 2014 with “Operation Fox Hunt,” ostensibly launched to repatriate Chinese fugitives. This was followed by “Operation Sky Net” in 2015, which targeted dissidents accused of financial crimes. Since these programs began, approximately 10,000 Chinese fugitives have reportedly been returned to China, demonstrating Beijing’s disregard for international borders and legal protocols. These operations involve surveillance, intimidation, and coercion, with Chinese operatives threatening family members still in China if targets do not return voluntarily.
“No foreign government has the right to operate secret police stations on American soil. The Chinese Communist Party’s actions undermine international norms and human rights by circumventing legal extradition processes and engaging in intimidation tactics. This legislation sends a clear message: the United States will never tolerate illegal operations that violate our sovereignty and intimidate individuals living within our borders,” Senator Tom Cotton said.
In 2023, the FBI’s actions in New York resulted in one individual pleading guilty to being an unregistered foreign agent. The Justice Department’s pursuit of these cases signals increasing concern about the scale and scope of Chinese influence operations. Select Committee Chairman John Moolenaar has emphasized that these stations represent a direct threat to U.S. national security and undermine the rule of law. The legislation aims to create a comprehensive framework for addressing this threat by combining law enforcement actions with diplomatic and economic measures designed to halt these operations permanently.
Sources:
- Crack down on illegal Chinese police stations in the US
- Hinson, Cotton Introduce Legislation to Expel Chinese Police Operatives in U.S.
- House Republicans Move to Crack Down on Chinese Police Stations in the U.S. | National Review
- Republicans Move to Shut Down Chinese Police Stations Operating In the U.S.
