Biden administration grants Hong Kong residents in US two-year deportation reprieve

The Biden administration Thursday granted Hong Kong residents in U.S. a two-year reprieve from deportation, citing human rights concerns in communist-run China, which has control over the region. 

The Deferred Enforced Departure program for Hong Kong residents who would have normally been deported for overstaying their visas was set to expire in less than two weeks.

In his extension of the program, President Joe Biden said it is in the "foreign policy interest of the United States" to defer most removals of Hong Kong residents to Jan. 26, 2025.

Some people will still be eligible for removal, such as those who are subject to extradition or are determined to present a danger to public safety. 

China "has undermined the enjoyment of rights and freedoms in Hong Kong," since imposing a national security law on the special administrative region in June 2020, the White House said. 

The Chinese Communist Party has cracked down on dissent in Hong Kong, largely on residents wanting more Democratic freedoms, by limiting freedom of the press and academia and arresting prominent critics.