New York, Jan. 28, 2026 — A judge reportedly granted asylum today to Guan Heng, a whistleblower who secretly filmed Uyghur internment camps in China and shared his footage online after arriving in the United States. The footage he captured became crucial evidence for journalists reporting on the camps, including the team at BuzzFeed News that won a Pulitzer Prize.
The Department of Homeland Security has 30 days to appeal, during which time Guan will remain in detention. Guan and his relatives have said that if he is deported to China, his life would be in serious jeopardy.
Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) Chief of Advocacy Seth Stern said:
“This ruling is evidence that even in today’s environment, public pressure still works. All of the journalists, activists, editorial board members, and others who spoke out about Guan’s case deserve enormous credit. They should carry that momentum to other fronts in the very active battles for the rights of whistleblowers, journalists, and people who film government wrongdoing, whether in China or Minneapolis. DHS should not wait the full 30 days to drop this case. It should announce immediately that it will not appeal, so Guan can walk free. And it should give serious thought to why an immigration crackdown supposedly intended to target the worst of the worst is endangering the best of the best.”
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