We have learned from Heng’s attorney that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has withdrawn its motion to deport him to Uganda.

This is an important step forward. While DHS has not explained its decision, it is clear that sustained public attention and advocacy helped push the government to handle Heng’s case with greater caution. We are deeply grateful to everyone who signed, shared, called, wrote, and spoke out. This progress would not have been possible without you.

However, this development does NOT mean Heng is now safe.

DHS may still pursue other legal avenues to remove him. More broadly, Heng’s case is not an isolated incident. Across the United States, asylum seekers are increasingly subjected to expedited and opaque enforcement practices that strip them of meaningful opportunities to seek asylum, including transfers to so-called “third countries” where they may face persecution or onward deportation.

[ See Fei Zheng's case reported by the City: Father and Son Separated as ICE Deports Asylum-Seeking Father to China

This is a stark example of how ICE is rapidly removing asylum seekers and separating families, even without third-country transfers — showing that deportations can still be rapidly carried out despite public scrutiny, advocacy, and external intervention.]

As recent cases demonstrate, even sustained public scrutiny and ongoing judicial challenges have not halted ICE and DHS from continuing removals that undermine due process and tear families apart.

Under the Trump administration, the government has expanded the use of asylum cooperative agreements and other third-country removal practices. These policies allow asylum seekers to be expelled from the U.S. to countries with which they have no meaningful connection, often without a meaningful chance to present their asylum claims or receive due process.

Recent reporting suggests that these practices are not only continuing, but may be expanding. For example, Kosovo has reportedly begun receiving migrants from the United States as a third country, raising serious concerns about the normalization and growth of third-country deportations.

Heng remains at risk — and so do many others.

No one is free until everyone is free. No one is safe until everyone is safe. We will continue to demand protection for Heng until he is truly free, and we will continue to oppose policies that arbitrarily deny asylum seekers their rights.

We ask you to stay engaged:

• Continue to follow Heng’s case
• Contact your members of Congress and demand oversight and accountability
• Support local and national organizations defending asylum seekers and challenging third-country deportations

Public pressure matters. Let’s keep it up.

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Further read:
Reuters — U.S. judge opens door again to striking down Trump policy on third-country deportations (Dec 16, 2025)

Amnesty International USA — Third-country deportations — another cruel piece of Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda

American Immigration Council — Mass Deportation and the Threat to Democracy