US airports detained at least 12 Hongkongers since June
HK01 · 2 SOURCES1 day ago2 MIN
Summary
A US media report says the Trump administration has detained at least 12 Hong Kong residents at American airports since June, even though they had been allowed to live and work in the United States under a policy first announced in 2021. Detainees and their lawyers said Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers pressured them to sign voluntary departure documents and warned that refusing could lead to months in detention. The Department of Homeland Security said work authorization granted to Hong Kong residents does not itself confer lawful immigration status, and that removal proceedings can still be initiated against people holding such temporary administrative relief. All 12 cases have since been decided by immigration courts and the individuals were released from ICE custody, but they still face movement restrictions and electronic monitoring.
Key Points
- Politico, as cited by local reports, said ICE had detained at least 12 Hong Kong residents at US airports from June onward
- One Hong Kong citizen said he was detained in July while trying to board a flight at Chicago O'Hare International Airport
- That detainee said ICE officers told him to sign a voluntary departure form or face several months in jail.
- The 12 detainees were later released after immigration court rulings, but still had to wear ankle monitors and accept travel limits.
- Asian Law Caucus immigration justice director Evelyn Wiese said ICE was widening who it considered detainable despite weak legal grounds
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong people in the United States, the report suggests that permission to live and work there may not shield them from airport detention or removal proceedings. It also points to immediate practical risks for affected families, because even those released were still subject to electronic monitoring and restricted movement.