US lawmakers push green card bill for Hongkongers, but observers doubt success
Por Han Li,Leopold Chen — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement Hong Kong politics Hong Kong Politics US lawmakers push green card bill for Hongkongers, but observers doubt success
Broad Republican opposition to immigration expansion and tight legislative calendar expected to derail Hong Konger Promise of Refuge Act
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Han Li in Washington, DC and Leopold Chen Published: 8:44pm, 9 Oct 2026
Two US lawmakers are pushing for a bill that would allow Hongkongers in the country to apply for permanent residency, but authorities and observers have dismissed it as a political move unlikely to succeed.
Senator Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat, and Representative James McGovern, a Massachusetts Democrat, announced the Hong Konger Promise of Refuge Act, seeking to provide a pathway to green cards and ultimately citizenship for Hong Kong residents in the US currently protected under the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) programme.
Introducing the bill, Merkley accused Beijing and Hong Kong authorities of continuing to “undermine the fundamental rights and freedoms of Hongkongers”.
“The United States must protect Hong Kong residents who have sought refuge in America,” he said. “Congress must take action and enact our legislation to ensure Hongkongers residing in the US do not have to fear deportation.”
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