The Department of Homeland Security has withdrawn its request to deport Guan Heng, who filmed alleged detention facilities in Xinjiang, rights advocates said. Guan, 38, remains in ICE custody in New York while his lawyers seek release on bond and pursue asylum. His footage, released after a dangerous sea voyage to Florida, boosted international scrutiny of Xinjiang and drew support from human rights groups and U.S. lawmakers. Advocates warned deportation could expose him and his family to persecution.
U.S. Halts Deportation Plan for Chinese Whistleblower Who Filmed Xinjiang Detention Sites
FILE - The Department of Homeland Security logo is seen during a news conference in Washington, Feb. 25, 2015. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)
The Department of Homeland Security has withdrawn a request to deport Guan Heng, a Chinese national who secretly filmed detention facilities in Xinjiang, civil rights advocates said Monday. The announcement came after public pressure and warnings from rights groups and lawmakers that returning him to China could expose him to persecution for documenting alleged abuses.
Rayhan Asat, a human rights lawyer involved in the case, said Guan's attorney received a letter from DHS informing them that the department had rescinded its earlier request to transfer Guan to Uganda. Asat said she now expects Guan’s asylum proceedings to "proceed smoothly and favorably." Zhou Fengsuo, executive director of Human Rights in China, also confirmed the decision and said supporters were relieved.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's detainee database lists Guan, 38, as being in custody. His legal team is working to secure his release on bond from an ICE detention facility in New York.
How Guan Reached the United States
Guan filmed facilities in Xinjiang in 2020 that rights groups say were used to detain large numbers of ethnic minorities, particularly Uyghurs; Beijing rejects those claims and describes such sites as vocational and education centers. Fearing he could not safely release the footage while in mainland China, Guan left in 2021, traveling through Hong Kong and Ecuador (which then allowed visa-free entry for Chinese passport holders). According to Human Rights in China, he then went to the Bahamas, purchased an inflatable boat and an outboard motor, and made a nearly 23-hour sea crossing to Florida. The footage was later posted on YouTube and contributed to international scrutiny of conditions in Xinjiang.
After the release of the footage, Guan reported being doxxed and said Chinese state security authorities summoned his family in China, the advocacy group said. Guan subsequently applied for asylum and moved to a small town outside Albany, New York, where he lived until his detention by ICE in August.
Political Reaction And Legal Outlook
Support for Guan has grown after his case was publicized. Rights groups and U.S. lawmakers urged the administration to grant him protection, arguing that deportation would likely lead to persecution. The congressional Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission posted on X that "Guan Heng put himself at risk to document concentration camps in Xinjiang, part of the CCP’s genocide against Uyghurs," and cautioned that deportation could endanger him.
"We're really happy," said Zhou Fengsuo of Human Rights in China, on the DHS decision to withdraw the deportation request.
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), the top Democrat on the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas urging that Guan be released and that his asylum claim be approved. Guan’s lawyers say they are hopeful his case will now move forward in U.S. immigration court.
This development underscores tensions between immigration enforcement and human rights concerns, particularly when asylum seekers claim they face severe reprisals if returned to their home countries.
