A Chinese man who left his country after being filmed at a location suspected of human rights abuses against Uyghurs now faces deportation from the United States, his lawyer and mother told AFP.
Guan Heng, 38, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in August and had an immigration hearing in New York on Monday, his mother said in an interview.
The case could lead to his removal from the United States and his eventual return to China.
“I am really worried that if he is forced to return, the situation will be very bad,” Guan’s mother Luo Yun told AFP in Chinese.
“If he had a chance to stay in the United States, he would at least be safe,” she said. “I was very anxious and upset.”
Guan’s lawyer, Chen Chuangchuang, said the trial ended on Monday and the next hearing is scheduled for January.
The judge is expected to consider whether Mr. Guan should be sent to Uganda to apply for asylum because Uganda has agreed to accept people deported by the United States.
But Chen has vowed to challenge the attempt, believing Guan is likely to be returned to China from there.
The Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission issued a statement on Friday warning that Guan “may be subject to persecution” if returned to China.
“He should be given every opportunity to remain in the shelter,” the statement added.
-“Heartbreak”-
In late 2021, Guan posted a 20-minute video online detailing his travels in China’s northwest Xinjiang region.
He was visiting what a BuzzFeed investigation identified as a detention facility for Uighurs and other Muslim minorities, or the site of a possible such center.
Beijing has been accused of detaining more than 1 million Uyghurs and other Muslims since 2017 as part of an operation that the United Nations has previously said may amount to “crimes against humanity.”
China strongly denies the accusations, saying its policies have eradicated extremism in Xinjiang and promoted economic development.
Guan left China after filming the video and eventually entered the United States after traveling through South America.
Around that time, he told his mother that he had no plans to return to China.
“As for the content of the video he later posted, I don’t know,” his mother said.
The two kept in touch, and she recalled receiving a text message from one of Guan’s friends in August informing her that Guan had been detained during an operation.
Rowe said that when she managed to contact him, “he was in a state of extreme panic and collapse.”
She added that shortly after Guan posted the video, her family in mainland China were also questioned by authorities about their relationship with Guan.
“I’m heartbroken,” she said. “I’m not only crying for my kids, but I’m crying for the situation our family is facing.”
Guan’s supporters say he is being held at a facility in Broome County in upstate New York. His name appears on an online ICE detainee page.
“I just hope that my child can be healthy. He is still young and has a long road ahead.” Guan’s mother said.
By Service/MLM
