Veteran’s Appearance in Congressional Hearing Challenges Noem’s Claim on Deportations
On Thursday, a U.S. Army veteran appeared via video chat at a congressional hearing to counter Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s claim that no veterans have been deported.
Noem assured the House Homeland Security Committee that DHS has “not deported U.S. citizens or military veterans.” A few minutes later, an aide to Rep. Seth Magaziner showed Sae Joon Park, a 55-year-old Army veteran who fought in the Korean War and departed the US for South Korea earlier this year due to ICE harassment.
Park, who has lived in Hawaii most of his life and received a Purple Heart for injuries he suffered in the 1989 U.S. invasion of Panama, told legislators that ICE warned him he would be jailed and deported if he did not leave. He hadn’t resided in South Korea since childhood.
Magaziner told the committee that Park had served his country honorably before developing PTSD and substance abuse after battle. Park had been clean for over ten years and followed ICE’s requirements, including annual check-ins to stay in the US on deferred action. He served prison time for narcotics offenses.
That changed in June. Park told lawmakers that he was unexpectedly given an ankle monitor and given a harsh ultimatum: leave within weeks or face detention and deportation during a routine appointment. He fled for South Korea, “self-deportation,” because he felt stuck.
Even after paying a high price for defending their country, Magaziner said DHS was treating veterans unfairly and inconsistently. Why did Park, who was shot while serving, leave the country he protected?
Noem thanked military personnel and supported immigration enforcement. She said her department always respects the law, especially for veterans.
An already important hearing was heightened by the awkward chat. Democrats criticized Noem for continuing deportation flights to El Salvador after a judge ordered them to stop earlier this year. Chanting for deportation halts and ICE raid protests halted the session.
The session allowed Park a rare chance to talk to administration. Despite speaking from thousands of miles away, his presence raised a difficult question: What should the U.S. do about immigration cases involving veterans who served but later suffered trauma, addiction, or legal issues?
Park’s story will likely be at the forefront of a larger issue about how the country handles those who fought for it but now have to battle to stay as politicians investigate DHS policies.
Sources:
NBC News
House Homeland Security Committee Hearing Transcript
