24-06-2025
Purple Heart Veteran Forced to Deport After Green Card Revoked
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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A United States Army veteran who was forced to self-deport to South Korea has told Newsweek he will only return once President Donald Trump leaves office.
Purple Heart veteran Sae Joon Park, who has lived in the U.S. for 48 years, was told by immigration authorities that he had three weeks to leave the country.
"President Trump sucks. I will try to come back after Trump leaves," Park told Newsweek in a statement.
Newsweek reached out to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for comment.
Why It Matters
Trump ran his successful presidential campaign on a promise to remove millions of undocumented immigrants from the U.S.
The Trump administration has directed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to hit 3,000 arrests a day as part of an aggressive mass deportation policy. Trump has said that most detentions and deportations would target individuals with criminal records. However, in recent weeks, there have been multiple reports of people with valid documentation being detained for deportation.
Purple Heart veteran Sae Joon Park was forced to self-deport to South Korea after living in the U.S. for 48 years.
Purple Heart veteran Sae Joon Park was forced to self-deport to South Korea after living in the U.S. for 48 years.
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What To Know
"This really kills me that I just have to drop everything and leave like this," Park told Hawaii News Now before he left the country.
Park immigrated to the United States from Seoul, South Korea, at the age of 7, obtaining legal permanent residency through a green card.
At 19, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in the 1989 Panama conflict during the Noriega war. He was wounded twice in combat and received a Purple Heart in recognition of his bravery.
"I got shot in the spine with an AK-47, M16 my left lower back," he told Hawaii News Now. "In my mind, I'm going, 'Oh my God, I'm shot in the back. I can't feel my legs. I must be paralyzed.'"
Park was honorably discharged from the military and returned to his home in Los Angeles, where he experienced severe post-traumatic stress disorder. To manage symptoms such as nightmares and sensitivity to loud noises, he used marijuana. In 1995, he relocated to Hawaii in search of a better quality of life. However, he said he later developed an addiction to crack cocaine.
"Drugs had a big control throughout my life, and that's what eventually got me into trouble with the law and everything," he told Hawaii News Now.
In 2009, Park was convicted of drug and bail-related offenses and served two and a half years in prison. After his release, ICE agents detained him and revoked his green card.
He contested his deportation in court and, as a Purple Heart recipient, was granted deferred action, allowing him to remain in the U.S. under the condition that he regularly check in with immigration authorities and maintain sobriety.
Park has two children in their 20s and helps care for his elderly parents and aunts.
"These last 14 years have been great, like really proud of myself, proud of my kids, how I've been acting and how I've been living my life," he told Hawaii News Now.
This month, officials terminated his deferred action status and informed him that he must leave the country voluntarily or face detention and forced deportation. He was issued an ankle monitor and given three weeks to make arrangements.
What People Are Saying
Sae Joon Park told Newsweek in a statement: "Family doing best they can. Very supportive. Yes both my children are American citizens."
Park's friend Josh Belson wrote on social media: "One of my oldest and dearest friends, army veteran and Purple Heart recipient is being kicked out of the country today. Was he here legally? YES! Do so called patriots and America first wonks care? No!"
"Has he taken a bullet for this country, and given more for this country than 90% of those people? Absolutely! Will he be better off than the rest of us for not having to endure a Trump presidency? Probably."
Danicole Ramos, Park's attorney, told Hawaii News Now: "In every sense of him, he is an American but by paper."
What Happens Next
It is unclear when or if Park will be able to return to the United States.
"Let's say [my daughter] gets married, I won't be there," Park told Hawaii News Now. "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."
