U.S. immigration officers have detained at least 12 Hong Kong citizens at airports since June, even though a presidential directive allows them to live and work in the United States through Feb. 5, 2027, lawyers who represented detainees said. The detentions could leave some people at risk of deportation before the protection expires, and could accelerate removals after it ends. Lawyers and detainees said Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers threatened to hold people indefinitely unless they agreed to leave the country voluntarily. One Hong Kong citizen, who asked not to be identified over concerns about possible reprisals, said officers detained them in July while they were trying to board a flight at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. The person said officers pressured them to sign a voluntary-departure document and warned they could spend months in prison if they refused. Academic researchers have identified at least two dozen additional Hong Kong residents detained this year. It is not clear whether those people qualified for the directive’s protection or whether any remain in custody. The directive, issued during the Biden administration, permits eligible Hong Kong residents to stay and work in the United States until its February expiration. The reported detentions put attention on how immigration enforcement is being applied to people with temporary protections—and on the uncertainty they face as the deadline approaches.