US lawmakers push green card bill for Hongkongers, but observers doubt success

Two US lawmakers have introduced a bill aimed at providing a pathway to green cards and citizenship for Hongkongers currently residing in the US under the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) programme. The Hong Konger Promise of Refuge Act, proposed by Senator Jeff Merkley and Representative James McGovern, seeks to protect Hongkongers from potential deportation, as Beijing and Hong Kong authorities continue to undermine their fundamental rights and freedoms.

However, the bill has faced criticism from both the Hong Kong and Chinese governments, with the latter stating that Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal matter and urging US lawmakers to stop meddling. Additionally, experts suggest that the bill is unlikely to succeed within the current legislative session, as US lawmakers are likely to focus on campaign-related activities ahead of the midterm elections in November, and the new batch of lawmakers will not have enough time to process the proposal before the DED programme expires in February 2027.

Brief written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.