Uyghur Rights Whistleblower Granted US Asylum Amidst Tightened Immigration

• Guan Heng, a Chinese man who exposed human rights abuses against Uyghurs in Xinjiang, has been granted asylum in the US.
• An immigration judge ruled Guan has a "well-founded fear" of persecution, a rare victory for asylum seekers under the current administration.
• Guan secretly filmed detention facilities in Xinjiang in 2020, releasing the footage on YouTube after a circuitous journey to Florida.
• Despite the asylum ruling, Guan remains detained at Broome County Correctional Facility as the government considers an appeal within 30 days.
• Guan's case highlights the plummeting asylum approval rates in the US, which fell to 10% in 2025 from a historical average of 28%.

Why It Matters: Chinese whistleblower Guan Heng secured US asylum for exposing Uyghur abuses, a rare win amidst stricter immigration policies.