NEW YORK — Guan Heng, the Chinese citizen journalist whose clandestine footage provided the world with rare, ground-level proof of detention camps in Xinjiang, remains in U.S. immigration custody as his legal battle for asylum reaches a critical juncture. Despite a massive international outcry and bipartisan pressure from Congress, the 38-year-old whistleblower continues to face the threat of removal to a country where, in his own words, he would “rather die” than return.
Guan’s journey—from filming high-security compounds in 2020 to crossing the Atlantic in a small inflatable boat in 2021—has transformed him into a symbol of the high stakes facing dissidents seeking refuge in an era of tightening border enforcement.
From Secret Filmmaking to ICE Detention
In October 2020, posing as a tourist, Guan traveled across China’s Xinjiang region to verify satellite imagery of alleged internment camps. His 20-minute documentary, released on YouTube under the pseudonym “Guanguan” after he fled to the U.S., showed gray, barbed-wire compounds and watchtowers hidden in plain sight.
However, Guan’s quest for safety in America took a dark turn in August 2025. While living in upstate New York and awaiting an asylum interview, he was swept up in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid. Despite having a valid work permit and a pending asylum claim, his “entry without inspection” via Florida in 2021 made him a target for the current administration’s aggressive removal policies.
A Controversial “Third-Country” Plan
The case sparked outrage in December 2025 when the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed deporting Guan to Uganda—a third country with no personal ties to the filmmaker but which has reached agreements to accept U.S. deportees.
Human rights lawyers and members of the House Select Committee on the CCP immediately warned that Uganda’s close security ties with Beijing would make Guan an easy target for extradition back to China. Following this pressure, activists confirmed on December 22, 2025, that the DHS had withdrawn the Uganda proposal. However, Guan remains in the Broome County Correctional Facility as ICE continues to push for his removal, now potentially directly to China.
Timeline: The Guan Heng Case
| Date | Milestone |
| Oct 2020 | Secretly films detention facilities in Xinjiang, China. |
| Oct 2021 | Reaches Florida by inflatable boat after fleeing via the Bahamas. |
| Oct 2021 | Releases “Xinjiang Detention Camps” video; files for U.S. asylum. |
| Aug 2025 | Detained by ICE in New York during a raid on his residence. |
| Dec 2025 | DHS withdraws plan to deport him to Uganda following public outcry. |
| Jan 12, 2026 | Appears before an immigration judge; bail request denied. |
“He’s Really Dead”
The emotional weight of the case is felt most by Guan’s family. His mother, Luo Yun, currently living in Taiwan, has been vocal about the danger her son faces. “If he gets sent back, he’s really dead,” she told reporters, noting that family members in mainland China have already been subjected to hours of interrogation regarding Guan’s work.
While his legal team works to secure his release on bond, Guan’s fate rests with an immigration judge. His case has become a “textbook example,” according to Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), of why the asylum system exists: to protect those who risk everything to expose state-sponsored human rights abuses.
