Attorneys Say ICE Detained at Least 12 Hong Kong DED Holders at Airports as Lawmakers Introduce Permanent-Residence Bill
WASHINGTON — Immigration attorneys say U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has detained at least 12 Hong Kong residents covered by Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) at airports across the United States since June, holding them from 10 days to two months, with some pressed to sign voluntary-departure papers, according to Politico. Immigration judges later ordered all of them released, but they remain subject to ankle monitors and travel restrictions.
DED, an administrative protection dating to the Biden administration, allows eligible Hong Kong residents to live and work in the United States until February 5, 2027, but does not itself confer immigration status. The Department of Homeland Security says a work permit does not equal lawful status and that removal proceedings may still be initiated. On October 6, Senator Jeff Merkley and Representative Jim McGovern introduced the Hong Konger Promise of Refuge Act (S.5606 / H.R.10685), which would allow DED holders to apply for permanent residence.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 美国国会大厦西侧（法案提出地），美国国会建筑师办公室，公有领域（Wikimedia Commons）
