WASHINGTON (RTW) — The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has rescinded its deportation order for Guan Heng, a Chinese national who entered the U.S. without authorization. Activists had raised alarm that deportation would lead to severe repercussions for Guan, who played a crucial role in exposing human rights abuses in China’s Xinjiang region.
Rayhan Asat, a human rights attorney involved in the case, confirmed that Guan's legal team received a notification from DHS about the withdrawal of the deportation request to Uganda. Asat expressed optimism that Guan’s asylum proceedings would now progress without complication.
Zhou Fengsuo, executive director of Human Rights in China, also expressed relief over the decision, stating, “We’re really happy.” The DHS has yet to provide an official commentary on the matter, and Guan remains listed as a detainee by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Guan's legal representatives are currently working on securing his release from an ICE facility in New York. In 2020, Guan clandestinely filmed detention facilities in Xinjiang, which rights advocates claim are being used to detain ethnic minorities, predominantly Uyghurs, on a massive scale.
To avoid detection by authorities upon his return from documenting human rights abuses, Guan fled to Hong Kong, then traveled to Ecuador, and eventually made his way to the U.S. He arrived in Florida after a perilous journey at sea, where he shared shocking footage that drew international attention to the situation in Xinjiang.
Despite his efforts to live a quieter life in New York, Guan was captured by ICE agents in August, prompting public outcry, including support from members of Congress who demanded protections for him. They emphasized that Guan’s activism deserved recognition and protection within the U.S., urging the administration to grant him asylum.
In an official letter, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi described Guan’s documentation of abuses as a courageous act, appealing to the DHS to reconsider his case and provide a safe haven.
