Chinese Activist Who Exposed Xinjiang Camps Faces Deportation from U.S.

A Chinese man who secretly filmed inside China's Xinjiang region is now fighting to stay in America. U.S. immigration judges have ordered his deportation. The man, whose identity is protected for safety, is a former factory worker. In 2017 and 2018, he used a hidden camera to record videos near facilities widely described as internment camps for Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities. His footage was verified and published by the BBC. He fled to the United States in 2019 and requested asylum. He argued he would face persecution from Chinese authorities for his actions. U.S. immigration courts denied his asylum claim. Judges ruled he did not prove a strong enough fear of future persecution. His legal appeals have now been exhausted. The man's lawyers call the decision a death sentence. They say returning to China would result in his immediate arrest. The U.S. government has not commented on the case. The case highlights the global fallout from the Xinjiang crisis. China denies all accusations of human rights abuses in the region. It calls the facilities vocational training centers necessary for stability.