The saga of a Los Angeles Military veteran who legally immigrated to the USA, was wounded in fight and self-deported to South Korea earlier this 12 months, turned a flashpoint throughout a testy congressional listening to in regards to the Trump administration’s immigration coverage.
Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem was grilled Thursday on Capitol Hill about navy veterans deported through the immigration crackdown launched earlier this 12 months, together with in Los Angeles.
“Sir, we’ve got not deported U.S. residents or navy veterans,” Noem responded when questioned by Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.).
Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.) speaks throughout a listening to of the Home Committee on Homeland Safety on Thursday. He was joined on a video name by Sae Joon Park, a U.S. navy veteran who self-deported to South Korea.
(Mark Schiefelbein / Related Press)
An aide then held up a pill exhibiting a Zoom reference to Purple Coronary heart recipient Sae Joon Park in South Korea. The congressman argued that Park had “sacrificed extra for this nation than most individuals ever have” and requested Noem if she would examine Park’s case, given her discretion as a Cupboard member. Noem pledged to “completely have a look at his case.”
Park, reached in Seoul on Thursday night time, mentioned he was skeptical that Noem would observe by on her promise, however mentioned that he had “goosebumps” watching the congressional listening to.
“It was superb. After which I’m getting tons of telephone calls from all my mates again residence and in all places else. I’m so very grateful for all the pieces that occurred at this time,” Park, 56, mentioned, noting that mates instructed him {that a} clip of his story appeared on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Reside!” present Thursday night time.
The late-night host featured footage of Park’s second within the congressional listening to in his opening monologue.
“Is anybody OK with this? Critically, all kidding apart, we deported a veteran with a Purple Coronary heart?” Kimmel mentioned, including that Republicans “declare to care a lot about veterans, however they don’t in any respect.”
Park legally immigrated to the USA when he was 7, grew up in Koreatown and the San Fernando Valley, and joined the Military after graduating from Notre Dame Excessive Faculty in Sherman Oaks in 1988.
Sae Joon Park acquired a Purple Coronary heart whereas serving within the Military.
(From Sae Joon Park)
The inexperienced card holder was deployed to Panama in 1989 because the U.S. tried to depose the nation’s de facto chief, Gen. Manuel Noriega. Park was shot twice and honorably discharged. Struggling post-traumatic stress dysfunction, he self-medicated with illicit medication, went to jail after leaping bail on drug possession prices, turned sober and raised two youngsters in Hawaii.
Earlier this 12 months, when Park checked in for his annual assembly with federal officers to confirm his sobriety and employment, he was given the choice of being instantly detained and deported, or carrying an ankle monitor for 3 weeks as he acquired his affairs so as earlier than leaving the nation for a decade.
On the time, Division of Homeland Safety Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin mentioned Park had an “in depth legal historical past” and had been given a closing removing order, with the choice to self-deport.
Park selected to go away the nation voluntarily. He initially struggled to acclimate in a nation he hasn’t lived in since he was a toddler, however mentioned Thursday night time that his psychological state — and his Korean-language expertise — have improved.
“It hasn’t been straightforward. After all, I miss residence like loopy,” he mentioned. “I’m doing the most effective I can. I’m often a really optimistic individual, so I really feel like all the pieces occurs for a motive, and I’m simply making an attempt to hold in there till hopefully I make it again residence.”
Amongst Park’s prime considerations when he left the USA in June was that his mom, who’s 86 and battling dementia, would die whereas he couldn’t return to the county. However her lack of knowledge about his scenario has been considerably of a wierd blessing, Park mentioned.
“She actually doesn’t know I’m even right here. So each time I discuss to her, she’s like, ‘Oh, the place are you?’ And I inform her, and he or she’s like, ‘Oh, when are you coming residence? Oh, why are you there?’” Park mentioned. “In a bizarre method, it’s sort of good as a result of she doesn’t have to fret about me on a regular basis. However on the identical time, I might like to be subsequent to her whereas she’s going by this.”
