I'm watching the series "Warrior" which takes place in San Francisco in the later 1800's. It involves the conflict between Chinese laborers brought over for cheap labor and mostly Irish workers. Violent and grim. But the exploitation of immigrant labor, legal or undocumented, is an old phenomenon. I don't see how this guy can ask for asylum. The story doesn't talk about any persecution in China, just poverty. Not grounds for asylum. Send him/them back. If Uighurs get here, then we discuss asylum claims.