Arming He
Arming owns a thriving restaurant in a Florida shopping center. After four years in jail, Arming slowly built a new life for himself in America. He provides employment to a group of friends and relatives who came to Florida to work, and he owns a duplex home that they all share, rent free. Like many Golden Venture passengers released under a 1997 presidential “parole,” Arming does not have legal status.
Guilin Chen
Guilin Chen spent almost four years in the York, PA County Jail. After his release on parole, he worked in his uncle’s garment factory in New York. The factory closed, and he became a deliveryman. He worked for a long time in State College, PA, driving 13 hours a day, six or seven days a week. Guilin is a free spirt, who on his days off would drive to New York to party with friends and dance in clubs. Since he was filmed, Guilin won political asylum. He now owns a takeout restaurant in New Jersey and is waiting for his green card.
Kaiqu Zheng
Kaiqu Zheng lives in Changle, Fujian Province. Like many of the Golden Venture detainees, Kaiqu learned how to make paper sculptures while he was in jail. He made eagles, owls, tigers, dinosaurs and other creations, using only folded magazine sheets and a paste of water, glue and tissues. He opted for deportation after two years in the York, PA county jail. He was detained, fined and beaten when he returned to China. Kaiqu has tried to enter the US three times – the Golden Venture was his second attempt. He tried one time after the Golden Venture, and was immediately detained at the airport and sent home.
Yan Li
Yan Li opted for deportation after two years in the York jail. In China, he was arrested, fined, beaten and submitted to forced sterilization. One year later, he paid smugglers $50,000 for a second illegal passage to the US. Today he is a chef in an Arkansas Chinese restaurant. Yan was reluctant to appear because he feared reprisals against his wife and children in China. His name has been changed and his face obscured in shadow.
Beverly Church
Beverly Church was a paralegal, a grandmother and registered Republican when the Golden Venture passengers arrived in the York, PA county jail. She went on the become one of the major advocates for the detainees. Today she’s still fighting, pressing in Congress for special legislation that would take the paroled passengers out of legal limbo and finally grant them permanent legal residence. The proposed legislation has protected the passengers from deportation for several years.
Sterling Showers
Sterling Showers was working in a York, PA air conditioner factory when the Golden Venture passengers came to the jail. He was drawn to helping the passengers, attending vigils outside the jail and visiting the detainees inside at least once a week. Several passengers lived with Sterling after their release, staying with him until they could find jobs and homes. Today he remains close to many Golden Venture passengers around the country and back in China.
Craig Trebilcock
Craig Trebilcock was a personal injury lawyer who reluctantly took a Golden Venture case to fulfill a pro bono requirement. He became the detainees’ lead attorney, launching an epic battle against the government in federal court. Craig was in the Army for four years before he went into private practice in York, PA and has remained active in the Army Reserve, serving tours of duty in Bosnia and Iraq.
