Sae Joon Park, a decorated Army veteran, made the heart-wrenching decision to self-deport to South Korea this week, leaving behind his life, family, and friends in Hawaii without knowing when he might return.
On Monday, under the watchful eyes of agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Park said goodbye to his loved ones at the Honolulu airport with tears in his eyes.
“This really kills me that I just have to drop everything and leave like this,” Park shared in an emotional interview before his departure.
His family, including his son, daughter, and aging parents, expressed their concerns for his well-being in Korea, to which he reassured them, “I know I’ll be OK. That’s not what I’m worried about. I’m worried about them.”
Having moved to the U.S. from South Korea at the age of seven, Park held legal permanent residency under a green card.
At 19, he bravely joined the U.S. Army and served in Panama during the Noriega War in 1989, where he was shot twice in combat and awarded a Purple Heart for his heroism.
“I got shot in the spine, my left lower back,” he recounted, explaining how he initially feared he might be paralyzed.
Remarkably, a bullet aimed at his spine was deflected by his dog tag, which saved his life.
After being honorably discharged, Park returned to his home in Los Angeles, where he eventually faced severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
In an attempt to find relief from his nightmares and hypersensitivity to noise, he turned to marijuana, which later led him to a struggle with cocaine addiction.
“Drugs had a big control throughout my life, and that’s what eventually got me into trouble with the law and everything,” he admitted.
In 2009, Park was convicted of drug and bail offenses, serving two and a half years in prison. After his release, ICE agents detained him and revoked his green card, forcing him to navigate a complex legal battle against deportation.
Despite the challenges, Park was granted some reprieve as a Purple Heart veteran under deferred action, a status requiring him to check in annually while remaining sober.
He took full advantage of this opportunity, turning his life around over the past 14 years.
As a devoted father to his two now-adult children and a caregiver for his elderly parents and aunts, Park expressed pride in the life he had built.
However, this month, his deferred action status was unexpectedly terminated, leading officials to order him to leave the country or face detention and forced deportation.
He was fitted with an ankle monitor and given just three weeks to settle his affairs, leaving his family and supporters in shock.
Reflecting on his service and sacrifice, Park remarked, “People were saying, ‘You took two bullets for this country. Like you’re more American than most of the Americans living in America.'”
The impact of his deportation weighs heavily on him.
He shared, “Let’s say [my daughter] gets married, I won’t be there. Let’s say my parents pass away, I won’t be there. You know, so many things that I’ll be missing. And for sure, things are going to happen, I just can’t be there, which is heartbreaking.”
Danicole Ramos, Park’s attorney, echoed these sentiments, stating, “In every sense of him, he is an American but by paper. We have a veteran who took a bullet for this country, who fought and swore an oath to preserve, protect and defend the constitution of the United States even though he wasn’t a citizen of it.”
Ramos highlighted a significant issue, noting that 38% of the U.S. military personnel are noncitizens, and many face deportation for non-violent offenses.
She emphasized the need for systemic change, saying, “Mr. Park is a victim of this poor system where we’re not supporting our veterans. What can our Congress do to ensure that we help Mr. Park get a pathway to citizenship, that we are able to forgive him for his past mistakes and remember his service?”
Park recognized his past mistakes but believed his military service should be taken into account in consideration of his immigration status.
“I get it. I broke the law and everything, but I think this is a little severe what they’re doing to me after I paid my dues and did my time for the offense that I did,” he expressed.
“I thought I was doing my part to be a good citizen and do everything right to stay in this country.”
As he departs the only real home he’s known for a place he hasn’t seen in three decades, Park stated, “I’ll have to relearn everything.”
Officials from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services have not yet commented on Park’s situation.
image source from：kktv
