“The United States supports the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the residents of Hong Kong. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has continued to erode those rights and freedoms, and as such I am directing an extension and expansion of the deferral of removal of certain Hong Kong residents who are present in the United States,” said President Biden.
The Biden Administration said that the extension was made to offer safety and protection to Hong Kong residents amid a continued “assault on Hong Kong’s autonomy, undermining its remaining democratic processes and institutions, imposing limits on academic freedom, and cracking down on freedom of the press.”
The Executive Order also directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to to take appropriate measures to authorize employment for noncitizens whose removal has been deferred for the duration of the deferral.
The Hong Kong Democracy Council (HKDC) welcomed President Biden’s decision. “Thousands of beneficiaries of the D.E.D. program over the past 18 months — living, studying, working, and keeping the fight for Hong Kong alive in America — are relieved to learn that our most basic security is guaranteed for the next 24 months,” said Anna Kwok, HKDC’s Executive Director.
For More:
https://www.hkdc.us/press-release/the-significant-extension-and-expansion-of-ded
