Washington DC - The US has deported a group of migrants from China who entered the country illegally in the first such large charter flight since 2018, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Tuesday.

The flight to China over the weekend carrying 116 people was conducted in "close coordination" with the Chinese authorities, the department said.

"DHS continues to work with [China's] Ministry of Public Security and National Immigration Administration on additional removal flights," it said.

Washington is working with Beijing "to reduce and deter irregular migration and to disrupt illicit human smuggling through expanded law enforcement efforts," it added.

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"We will continue to enforce our immigration laws and remove individuals without a legal basis to remain in the United States," Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement.

"People should not believe the lies of smugglers."

There has been a recent surge in the number of Chinese migrants seeking to cross the US-Mexico border.

According to US figures, more than 31,000 encounters with Chinese nationals were reported between October and May.

Republican Donald Trump has made illegal immigration a centerpiece of his presidential re-election bid and has been critical of the policies of his November opponent, Democrat Joe Biden.