Last week, the Obama administration argued in a filing to the Supreme Court that a ruling blocking the detainees’ ability to receive asylum in the U.S. should be upheld. That ruling overturned a federal judge order that the Uighurs be given sanctuary in the U.S., considering the fact that the Pentagon no longer considered them enemy combatants.
Muslim Uighurs from China’s Xinjiang province seek autonomy for their region. The Chinese government has been cracking down on separatist activities. China has warned that any country that accepts the men will be considered as harboring terrorists.