US detains over 12 Hong Kongers, forces voluntary departure, and fits them with electronic shackles as US, UK, and Canada slam gates shut on abandoned 'brothers'

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has reportedly detained at least 12 Hong Kongers holding "Deferred Enforced Departure" (DED) status in the United States at multiple US airports earlier. Some of the arrested Hong Kongers pointed out that ICE officers threatened that if they did not sign "voluntary departure" documents, they would be imprisoned for several months; although each person was subsequently released with court approval, they must wear electronic ankle shackles, and their personal freedom is strictly monitored.

The incident has triggered panic within the circles of "brothers" who fled to the US. Some Hong Kongers staying in the US under DED, because ICE officers frequently appear on the streets near their residences, worry they will be arrested and have thus not dared to go out for several consecutive weeks or even months, living in constant fear and anxiety all day long.

Some commentators pointed out that the anti-China and disrupt-Hong Kong elements who fled abroad after being involved in cases during the black violence period had always believed that the US and Western countries would provide a "protective umbrella." 

Little did they expect that over the past six months, the US, UK, and Canada have successively closed their gates to the "brothers," reflecting that the US and Western countries have never treated them as anything more than chess pieces. 

When they no longer have utility value, they will no longer be provided with any support. "They have ultimately ended up as abandoned pawns, landing in a situation of being monitored by electronic ankle shackles, not knowing when they will be deported."

In mid-September, US media had already pointed out that Mo Ho-yin, a Hong Konger relying on "Deferred Enforced Departure" (DED) to stay in the US, was ambushed and arrested by ICE at Las Vegas airport. It is reported that Mo was eventually released on bail after being detained for 15 days. 

Sources indicate that Mo Ho-yin legally entered the United States in January 2020 and was originally required to depart in May of the same year, but subsequently relied on DED to remain in the US to this day. 

During this period, Mo worked as a news anchor and reporter at a Chinese-language television station in San Francisco. In 2024, the station interviewed Jimmy Lai's son, Sebastien Lai, regarding the case of Jimmy Lai "colluding with foreign forces."

The incident at that time had already drawn high attention from the community of "brothers" who fled to the US. Recently, US media once again revealed that the number of Hong Kongers staying in the US who have been arrested by ICE is far more than just Mo Ho-yin.

Since June this year, ICE has detained at least 12 Hong Kongers holding DED in the US at multiple US airports. Some detained Hong Kongers revealed that although DED remains valid until February 5 next year, they were still arrested by ICE officers and asked to sign a "voluntary departure" agreement, and were further warned that if they refused to sign, they might be locked up for several months.

The report pointed out that although the arrested individuals were subsequently released with court approval, all of them must wear electronic ankle shackles, their range of activity is restricted, and their personal freedom is strictly monitored. 

The US Department of Homeland Security responded to the incident, emphasizing that DED grants Hong Kongers in the US work authorization, but it does not confer legal residency status in the United States, and relevant authorities can initiate deportation proceedings against individuals holding DED.

DED is essentially only a measure of "temporary deferral of deportation" under the executive order of the US President, not a formal immigration status. 

The "program" was first implemented for Hong Kongers in the US by the Biden administration in 2021, claiming to provide temporary asylum for Hong Kongers. 

In 2025, on the eve of stepping down, Biden signed a memorandum again, extending the "program" to February 5, 2027. The Special Administrative Region government once issued a statement, strongly disapproving of and condemning the US side for using the "program" as a pretext to slander Hong Kong's rule of law, democracy, and human rights conditions.

The incident has triggered panic within the community of "brothers" who fled to the US. Some even pointed out that a research project at the University of California, Berkeley, obtained information through the Freedom of Information Act showing that between January 1 and August 6 this year, a total of 38 Hong Kong people were detained by ICE.

Some "brothers" staying in the US under DED stated that because ICE officers frequently appear on the streets near their residences, they worry they will be arrested, so they have already not dared to go out for several consecutive weeks or even months. 

The incident has also made "brothers" more worried about the predicament they will face after DED expires on February 5 next year. Local news has also leaked out, indicating that US government officials have released word that DED will no longer be extended. 

In fact, the US government has not made any relevant public announcement so far, and the "brothers" in the US can only continue to live their days in fear.

The "chess piece" has lost its value

The US "closing its gates" is not an isolated case. the UK and Canada, which had extensively beckoned to the black violence elements during the black violence period, have also successively tightened their immigration policies over the past six months, repeatedly failing to provide "protection" to the "brothers" who fled abroad. 

Canada's "Lifeboat Scheme," which was claimed to be specially designed for Hong Kongers, officially ended on August 31. 

As of June this year, the scheme had cumulatively received about 30,315 applications involving 48,560 people, but less than 30 percent (8,600 cases) were approved, leaving the future of over 30,000 people hanging in the balance. Some Hong Kongers who moved to Canada stated that they are now caught in a state of limbo, with a bleak path ahead, reduced only to "cheap labor" locally, and living in extreme anxiety.

On the UK side, since the Labour Party came to power in July this year, it has significantly tightened its approval policies for BNO visas. 

According to British media reports, at least 12 Hong Kongers who were convicted and imprisoned by Hong Kong courts for participating in the 2019 black violence had their BNO visa applications rejected by the UK Home Office. 

In the rejection notification letters, the Home Office cited the verdicts of the Hong Kong courts, pointing out that the offenses committed by the applicants in Hong Kong are also illegal in the UK. 

The incident reflects that the current British government is "drawing a line" with the black violence elements, explicitly stating that these violent elements who threaten social security are not welcome to reside in the UK.

Some political figures believe that some "brothers" were initially enticed by the so-called "democratic promises" of Western countries, defying the law to disrupt Hong Kong in the belief that the US and Western countries would always provide a "protective umbrella." "Little did they expect that now, having lost their political utility value, the US and Western countries would successively close their gates and no longer provide any support for them, turning this group of people into abandoned pawns. This reflects that the US and Western countries have never treated them as anything more than chess pieces, thoroughly exposing the hypocritical nature of Western countries kicking down the bridge after crossing it."

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓