The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has abandoned its plan to deport Guan Heng, a Chinese national who entered the United States illegally, following public outcry regarding the potential consequences he would face if sent back to China. Activists, including human rights lawyer Rayhan Asat, noted that deportation would likely result in severe punishment for Guan by the Chinese government due to his efforts to expose human rights abuses in Xinjiang, where Beijing is accused of detaining up to 1 million ethnic minorities, particularly Uyghurs.
Rayhan Asat reported that Guan’s legal counsel received a letter indicating DHS’s decision to withdraw its request to deport him to Uganda. Asat expressed optimism that Guan’s asylum application would now progress smoothly and favorably. Zhou Fengsuo, the executive director of the advocacy group Human Rights in China, confirmed the administration's choice not to proceed with Guan's deportation, expressing relief at the decision.
Currently, Guan, 38, remains listed as a detainee in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in New York. His legal representatives are actively working to secure his release on bond. In 2020, Guan covertly filmed detention facilities in Xinjiang that are believed to be used for the mass incarceration of ethnic minorities. While China denies these allegations, asserting that its programs are vocational in nature, allegations of rights abuses persist.
Guan’s journey to safety began in 2021 when he fled mainland China for Hong Kong. From there, he traveled to Ecuador, where he could enter without a visa as a Chinese national. He then made his way to the Bahamas, where he purchased a small inflatable boat and an outboard motor before attempting to reach Florida. After nearly 23 hours at sea, he successfully landed on the coast of Florida and subsequently released footage of the detention centers on YouTube, providing critical documentation of the situation in Xinjiang.
However, following his public exposure, Guan became a target; his family in China faced harassment from state security authorities. He subsequently sought asylum and relocated to a town outside Albany, New York. Unfortunately, his legal struggles escalated in August when he was detained by ICE agents. Over recent weeks, public support for Guan, including backing from members of Congress, has surged, particularly after Zhou’s organization brought his case into the national spotlight. Congressional leaders have been vocal in advocating for Guan, labeling his documentation of alleged genocidal practices in Xinjiang as an act of courage.
Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat from Illinois and a member of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, reached out to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, urging the release of Guan and the approval of his asylum application. In his communication, he emphasized the United States’ moral obligation to defend victims of human rights violations in Xinjiang, as well as those who risk their lives to reveal these abuses.
As Guan’s situation unfolds, activists remain hopeful that he will be granted asylum in the U.S., allowing him to continue living free from the threat of persecution that looms over him should he be forced to return to China. The broader implications of this case underscore the complex intersection of international human rights advocacy and U.S. immigration policy.
