Preventing the Forced Return of Uyghurs Act of 2025 (S.2502)
(Pending in the Senate)
The bipartisan Preventing the Forced Return of Uyghurs Act (S.2502) was introduced on July 29, 2025 by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), for himself and cosponsor Senator John Cornyn (R-TX).
The full title is: “To deny entry into the United States of current or former government officials engaged in the forced repatriation of Uyghurs and other designated aliens to the People’s Republic of China, and for other purposes.”
Senator Merkley explained the importance of the bill in a July 29, 2025 press release, saying, “The forced return of Uyghurs to the PRC is a shameful violation of human rights, and the United States must be steadfast in calling out those foreign officials who capitulate to Beijing’s coercion. The bipartisan Preventing the Forced Return of Uyghurs Act is a strong tool to hold these foreign officials accountable and reaffirm the United States’ role as a global leader on dignity and freedom.”
Senator Cornyn provided additional context for the bill in the same press release, saying, “The Chinese Communist Party continues to wield its oppressive hand on religious and ethnic minorities, particularly Uyghurs, stripping them of basic human rights and subjecting them to concentration and re-education camps, starvation, torture, and disappearances. Any foreign government official who forcibly returns Uyghurs or members of any religious or ethnic minority group to China – where they would face certain persecution and possibly death – should not be welcome in the United States.”
This bill:
- Imposes visa bans on foreign government officials who have been involved in the forced deportation of Uyghurs to China, banning them from entering the U. S.
- Refers the cases of these officials to the Department of Treasury to determine whether financial sanctions are applicable.
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