A Chinese national who documented facilities in Xinjiang alleged to be used for the detention of Uyghurs is now fighting removal from the United States after being taken into custody by immigration authorities.
The individual, identified as Guan Heng, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in August. A recent court hearing has set the stage for a decision on his potential deportation, a prospect his legal team and family say could put him in grave danger.
His mother, speaking from abroad, expressed profound fear for his safety should he be forced to return to China. “My only wish is for his safety. If he can stay in the United States, he will be secure,” she said. “The thought of him being sent back fills me with dread.”
Following a hearing this week, a judge is expected to consider whether Guan should be sent to a third country to pursue his asylum claim. His attorney has pledged to contest any such move, arguing it could create a pathway for his eventual repatriation to China, where he would face likely persecution.
A congressional human rights commission has publicly warned that Guan would be at serious risk if returned.
The case stems from actions Guan took in 2021, when he published video footage from China’s Xinjiang region. The locations he visited have been cited in international reports as part of a network of camps where Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities have been detained. Chinese officials have consistently denied allegations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang, framing their policies as counter-terrorism and economic development measures.
Guan departed China after gathering the footage and later entered the United States. His mother stated that after he published the material, family members still in China were questioned by authorities about their connection to him.
Currently held in a detention facility in upstate New York, Guan awaits a final decision on his fate. His mother’s appeal is simple: “He is young and has his whole life ahead. I just want him to be safe.”