Biden extends deportation protection for Hong Kong residents

By AAMER MADHANI
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has signed off on a two-year extension of a program that protects Hong Kong residents in the U.S. from deportation. Biden first authorized the program in August 2021 for 18 months. It was set to expire on Feb. 5 and is now extended until January 2025. The initial decision to provide a temporary safe haven came after Hong Kong introduced a sweeping national security law and other measures that undercut the rights promised when the former British colony was handed back to China in 1997. The National Security Council said the extension reflects the administration’s “strong support for the people of Hong Kong in the face of increasing repression.”