在美港人受DED保障仍被ICE拘留｜美國駐港前總領事Hanscom Smith史墨客專訪：美國還是避風港嗎？｜Hong Kongers detained despite DED

Link：https://youtu.be/AELI1vzMNdA

部分尚未取得綠卡的在美港人，過去 5 年依靠「延遲強制離境」（DED）措施在美國生活及申請工卡工作。但近日有報道指，受保障港人在美國機場被移民及海關執法局（ICE）拘留，甚至有人被威脅簽署文件同意自願返回香港，否則可能被拘留數月。現有 DED 保障將於2027年2月5日屆滿，他們何去何從？

DED 醞釀及推出時，史墨客（Hanscom Smith）正擔任美國駐港總領事。他在《Let’s Talk》形容拘留報道令人非常不安，強調 DED 原意是美國提供避風港，讓當時已身在美國的港人可以選擇留下。他不了解個案詳情，但認為違反 DED 既有規定的做法都有問題。

Hong Kongers protected by Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) in the U.S. have reportedly been detained by ICE immigration agents. Some say they were threatened with months in detention unless they signed papers agreeing to return voluntarily to Hong Kong. With current protection due to expire on 5 February 2027, what comes next?

Hanscom Smith was U.S. Consul General in Hong Kong while DED was being developed and launched. In "Let's Talk", he calls the detention reports very troubling, stressing that DED was intended to let Hong Kongers already in the U.S. choose to remain. While unfamiliar with the individual cases, he considers actions contrary to DED’s established rules problematic.