US Lawmakers Propose Bill for Hong Kong Residents to Seek Permanent Residency
Senator Jeff Merkley and Representative James McGovern introduced the Hong Konger Promise of Refuge Act, which seeks to provide a pathway to green cards and ultimately citizenship for Hong Kong residents in the United States currently protected under the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) program. However, broad Republican opposition to immigration expansion and a tight legislative calendar are expected to derail the bill, according to authorities and observers.
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According to the South China Morning Post, two members of the United States Congress are advocating for legislation that would permit Hong Kong residents currently in the country to apply for permanent residency. Senator Jeff Merkley, who represents Oregon, and Representative James McGovern, from Massachusetts, announced the Hong Konger Promise of Refuge Act. This proposed legislation intends to create a pathway for Hong Kong residents in the US to obtain green cards and eventually citizenship, particularly those who are presently protected under the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) program.
Senator Merkley accused Beijing and Hong Kong authorities of continuing to ‘undermine the fundamental rights and freedoms of Hongkongers’. He asserted that the United States has a duty to safeguard Hong Kong residents who have sought refuge in America, and that Congress needs to pass legislation to ensure that Hong Kongers residing in the US do not face the threat of deportation.
However, authorities and observers have dismissed the bill as a political maneuver that is unlikely to succeed, citing the tight legislative calendar constraints.
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