PHOENIX (AP) — Leading up to the 2024 presidential election, U.S. Army veteran Sae Joon Park kept in mind a warning from an immigration officer: If Donald Trump were elected, Park would likely be at risk for deportation. Park was 7 when he came to the U.S. from Seoul, South Korea. He joined the Army at 19 and received a Purple Heart after being shot in Panama. After leaving the military, he lived with PTSD, leading to addiction issues. After a 2009 arrest on a drug charge, Park was ordered deported. However, due to his veteran status, he was granted deferred action, allowing him to remain in the U.S. eventually. For 14 years, he checked in with immigration officials while building a life in Honolulu. In June, during a routine appointment, he discovered he had a removal order against him. Faced with possibly lengthy detention, he self-deported. “They allowed me to join, serve the country – taking bullets for this country. That should mean something,” Park said. During Trump’s presidency, military service members faced tougher immigration policies, raising concerns regarding recruitment and national security. As the political landscape shifts, the treatment of immigrant veterans, like Park, is again under scrutiny as they navigate a complicated and often punitive immigration system.
Veteran Faces Deportation Amid Changing Immigration Policies
Veteran Faces Deportation Amid Changing Immigration Policies
U.S. Army veteran Sae Joon Park's journey from soldier to potential deportee highlights the challenges facing immigrant service members under shifting immigration policies, particularly with the upcoming 2024 presidential election.
Sae Joon Park, a U.S. Army veteran deported back to South Korea after years of living in the U.S., embodies the uncertainty and fear faced by immigrant service members under evolving immigration policies. After serving honorably and living a life built in America, Park self-deported when confronted with a removal order. He joins a growing list of veterans who are threatened by deportation due to past legal issues, raising questions about the treatment of those who have served the country.
