President Biden on Thursday ordered authorities to refrain from deporting numerous Hong Kong residents who are in the U.S., granting them an 18-month “safe haven” in the face of China’s fierce crackdown on dissidents and democratic institutions.
In the “deferred removal” directive he signed, Biden cited the arrest of some 10,000 people in Hong Kong since Beijing imposed a so-called national security law just over a year ago that allows authorities to round up protesters and others on what the U.S. considers trumped-up charges.
Biden said the directive recognizes “the significant erosion” of rights and freedoms in Hong Kong because of the Chinese government’s actions.
The national security law has been used to curtail basic civil rights and triggered massive protests. The series of events has also harmed Hong Kong’s reputation as one of Asia’s leading vibrant financial and business centers.
“The [People’s Republic of China] has fundamentally altered the bedrock of Hong Kong’s institutions and suppressed freedoms of Hong Kongers,” Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said in a statement accompanying the president’s order. “Despite widespread demonstrations, which brought millions together to call for greater freedom, Hong Kong’s promise of democracy has dimmed.”
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