106 Days. Then they lose their protection.
Thousands fled Hong Kong after speaking out about their freedoms being taken away from them.
They came here because, on our best day, America represents the freedom to speak out against injustice. Since 2021, the Deferred Enforced Departure program has protected them from retaliation.
But this protection is set to expire on February 5th, 2027. Under Trump's regime, renewal is not guaranteed.
If the program lapses, more than 3,000 people will lose their protection from removal and their ability to work, while Hong Kong officials have put bounties on the pro-democracy advocates who have been living abroad. That's who we would be sending back and putting in danger.
Which is why I've worked with Senator Jeff Merkley to present the Hong Konger Promise of Refuge Act to provide continued protection and a pathway towards lawful permanent resident status and ultimately, citizenship.
We've done this before. After Tiananmen Square, Congress passed a law so advocates wouldn't be forced back to a government that would punish them. Protecting these folks used to have support from both parties, and it still should.
America is supposed to be a beacon for human rights. They cannot be something we defend when it's convenient. Will you stand with me as I bring this fight to the forefront once Congress reconvenes?
Defending human rights isn't a one-man job; it takes us all.
In Solidarity,
Jim McGovern
