GOP lawmakers want answers from Garland, Blinken regarding reported Chinese police station in NYC

Republican lawmakers want answers from Attorney General Merrick Garland and Secretary of State Antony Blinken regarding a reported Chinese police station operating in New York City.

Indiana Rep. Jim Banks, Republican Study Committee chairman, Florida Rep. Michael Waltz of Florida, Wisconsin Rep. Mike Gallagher and other lawmakers sent a letter to Garland and Blinken expressing "grave concern" about the Chinese police presence in the city.

According to the letter, the "Public Security (Police) Bureau of Fuzhou, China, announced in January 2022 that it has opened the ‘first batch’ of 30 overseas police service stations in 25 cities in 21 countries."

The lawmakers pointed out that the U.S. branch is "hosted at the American ChangLe Association" which is an "overseas Chinese hometown organization" in New York City.

The group "shoulders the mission of uniting the villagers, fighting for their legitimate rights and interests, promoting the prosperity and stability of the overseas Chinese settlements, and acting as a bridge for the villagers to get rich through hard work." 

"There should be no room for the Chinese government to exercise extraterritorial law enforcement unilaterally on U.S. soil," the lawmakers wrote in the letter.

Questions the lawmakers asked Garland and Blinken include whether the Biden administration invited or approved the Chinese police presence and if the State Department has approved visas for Chinese nationals to "perform law enforcement or other related government duties."