Chinese citizens fleeing their country over the economic fallout from Beijing's zero-COVID policy or religious repression are turning to TikTok to learn how to navigate dangerous smuggling routes through Latin America, and to clear the bureaucratic hurdles of getting asylum in the United States. Chinese-language videos posted to TikTok under the hashtags "walk the line," or "walk the line rainforest," "illegal immigration," and "U.S. immigration" are helping members of the "run" movement make the arduous trip. U.S. Customs and Border Protection data show the number of Chinese citizens arrested at the U.S.-Mexico border from October-April was 15 times that of the same period in 2022.
