Guan Heng, Chinese Filmmaker on Uyghur Detention, Wins U.S. Asylum, DHS May Appeal

Jan 28, 2026

A federal immigration judge has granted asylum to Guan Heng, a Chinese dissident who secretly recorded China’s mass detention of Uyghurs in Uyghur homeland. Guan Heng 38, fled China in 2021, releasing footage showing detention centers’ harsh conditions—evidence supporting the U.S. designation of China’s actions as genocide.

Guan Heng taken great risks to secretly record his country’s mass detention and surveillance of Uyghurs.

Detained in New York since August 2025, Guan will remain in custody while the Department of Homeland Security considers an appeal. His case marks a rare asylum victory amid U.S. immigration restrictions and highlights the risks faced by those documenting human rights abuses in China.