Presidential Documents

Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 11 / Friday, January 17, 2025 / Presidential Documents 6749 

Memorandum of January 15, 2025 

Extending and Expanding Eligibility for Deferred Enforced 

Departure for Certain Hong Kong Residents 

Memorandum for the Secretary of State [and] the Secretary of Homeland 

Security 

The United States supports the human rights and fundamental freedoms 

of the residents of Hong Kong. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has 

continued to significantly erode those rights and freedoms. I am therefore 

directing an extension and expansion of the deferral of removal of certain 

Hong Kong residents, regardless of country of birth, who are present in 

the United States. 

By unilaterally imposing on Hong Kong the Law of the People’s Republic 

of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (NSL) in June 2020, the PRC has undermined the enjoyment 

of rights and freedoms in Hong Kong, including those protected under 

the Basic Law and the Sino-British Joint Declaration. Following the NSL’s 

enactment, the PRC has continued its assault on Hong Kong’s autonomy, 

undermining its remaining democratic processes and institutions, imposing 

limits on academic freedom, and cracking down on freedom of the press. 

Since June 2020, at least 200 opposition politicians, activists, and protesters 

have been taken into custody on politically motivated NSL-related charges 

including secession, subversion, terrorist activities, and collusion with a 

foreign country or external elements. On November 19, 2024, Hong Kong 

authorities also sentenced 45 pro-democracy advocates to prison for their 

peaceful participation in political activities protected under the Basic Law 

of Hong Kong. 

There are compelling foreign policy reasons to extend Deferred Enforced 

Departure (DED) for an additional period for those residents of Hong Kong 

presently residing in the United States who were under a grant of DED 

until February 5, 2025, as well as to defer enforced departure for other 

Hong Kong residents who arrived in the United States subsequent to the 

initial grant of DED. The United States is committed to a foreign policy 

that unites our democratic values with our foreign policy goals, which 

is centered on the defense of democracy and the promotion of human 

rights around the world. Offering safe haven for Hong Kong residents who 

have been deprived of their guaranteed freedoms in Hong Kong furthers 

United States interests in the region. The United States will continue to 

stand firm in our support of the people in Hong Kong. 

Pursuant to my constitutional authority to conduct the foreign relations 

of the United States, I have determined that it is in the foreign policy 

interest of the United States to defer for 24 months the removal of any 

Hong Kong resident, regardless of country of birth, who is present in the 

United States on the date of this memorandum, except for those: 

(1) who have voluntarily returned to Hong Kong or the PRC after the 

date of this memorandum; 

(2) who have not continuously resided in the United States since the 

date of this memorandum; 

(3) who are inadmissible under section 212(a)(3) of the Immigration and 

Nationality Act (INA) (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(3)) or deportable under section 

237(a)(4) of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1227(a)(4)); 


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6750 Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 11 / Friday, January 17, 2025 / Presidential Documents 

(4) who have been convicted of any felony or two or more misdemeanors 

committed in the United States, or who meet any of the criteria set forth 

in section 208(b)(2)(A) of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1158(b)(2)(A)); 

(5) who are subject to extradition; 

(6) whose presence in the United States the Secretary of Homeland Security 

has determined is not in the interest of the United States or presents a 

danger to public safety; or 

(7) whose presence in the United States the Secretary of State has reasonable grounds to believe would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy 

consequences for the United States. 

I further direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to take appropriate 

measures to authorize employment for noncitizens whose removal has been 

deferred, as provided by this memorandum, for the duration of such deferral, 

including by extending through February 5, 2027, employment authorization 

for individuals with current employment authorization under prior grants 

of DED for certain Hong Kong residents, and to consider suspending regulatory requirements with respect to F–1 nonimmigrant students who are 

Hong Kong residents as the Secretary of Homeland Security determines 

to be appropriate. The Secretary of Homeland Security shall also provide 

for the prompt issuance of new or replacement documents in appropriate 

cases. 

The Secretary of Homeland Security is authorized and directed to publish 

this memorandum in the Federal Register. 

THE WHITE HOUSE, 

Washington, January 15, 2025 

[FR Doc. 2025–01466 

Filed 1–16–25; 2:00 pm] 

Billing code 4410–10–P 


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