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First Post
27-06-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Why US war hero was forced to self-deport after 50 years in the US
Sae Joon Park, a US army veteran, had lived in the United States for 48 years. But he has now self-deported to South Korea after immigration officials warned he could be detained due to a past drug-related conviction. During a recent meeting with local Ice (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) officers, Park was told he would face detention and deportation unless he chose to leave voluntarily. He was fitted with an ankle monitor and given three weeks to get ready for his departure read more Sae Joon Park is a US Army veteran who had been living in the United States for 48 years. Image: X US Army veteran Sae Joon Park had been living in the United States for nearly fifty years. But he has now self-deported to South Korea after US immigration officials warned him he could be detained over a past drug-related conviction. The green card holder had received the Purple Heart for being wounded in combat. ALSO READ | What is 'CBP Home', America's 'self-deportation' app for illegal immigrants? Recently, he was told he could not continue living in the US due to President Donald Trump's strict immigration policies. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD So, who is Sae Joon Park? Why did he self-deport from the US? And what do we know about the drug conviction? Find out below: Who is the US Army veteran? What happened? Sae Joon Park is a US Army veteran who had been living in the United States for 48 years. He recently had to leave the country after immigration authorities gave him three weeks to depart. 'This really kills me that I just have to drop everything and leave like this,' Park told Hawaii News Now before his departure. Originally from Seoul in South Korea, Park moved to the US at the age of seven. He received legal permanent residency through a green card. Growing up, Park said he lacked strong role models but looked up to his uncle, a colonel in the South Korean military. After high school, he decided to join the US Army. At 19, Park enlisted and served in the 1989 conflict in Panama during the Noriega war. Soon after completing basic training, he was sent to Panama, not knowing he would be involved in Operation Just Cause, the US invasion to remove Manuel Noriega from power. One afternoon, while having lunch with his platoon, Park said Panamanian soldiers opened fire. He began shooting back, but suddenly felt a sharp pain in his back. For U.S. Army veteran Sae Joon Park, the hardest moment wasn't combat — it was being asked to leave the only country he's called home for nearly 50 years. I called on my colleagues to do the right thing and vote YES on my amendment to give non-citizen veterans a fair shot at due… — Rep. Norma Torres (@NormaJTorres) June 26, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'I realised I was shot,' he told NPR. 'So I'm thinking, 'Oh my God, I'm paralysed.' And then thinking, 'Oh my God, I'm not just paralysed. I'm dying right now.'' Park was later honourably discharged and returned to Los Angeles. There, he struggled with severe post-traumatic stress disorder. To cope with nightmares and sensitivity to noise, he used marijuana. In 1995, Park moved to Hawaii, hoping for a fresh start. But over time, he 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 said to Hawaii News Now. Conviction to deportation In 2009, Sae Joon Park was convicted of drug-related and bail offences. He spent two and a half years in prison. After completing his sentence, immigration authorities detained him and took away his green card. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Park challenged his deportation in court. As a Purple Heart recipient, he was granted deferred action. This allowed him to stay in the US, provided he regularly reported to immigration officers and stayed sober. Park has two children in their twenties and helps look after his elderly parents and aunts. But things changed under Donald Trump's administration. At a recent meeting with local Ice officers in Hawaii, Park was told he would be detained and deported unless he chose to leave the country on his own. He was fitted with an ankle monitor and given three weeks to prepare for his departure. 'People were saying, 'You took two bullets for this country. Like you're more American than most of the Americans living in America,'' he told Hawaii News Now. Park spent his last days with friends and family, including his 85-year-old mother, whom he fears he may never see again. He then booked a flight to South Korea. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Under the supervision of Ice officers at Honolulu airport, he said goodbye to his loved ones in tears. Despite everything, Park remains strong in his belief that his military service was worthwhile. 'Even after everything I went through, I don't regret joining the military or getting shot,' he told NPR. 'It's part of my life, my journey. It's made me who I am today.'
The Hill
26-06-2025
- The Hill
Army vet and Purple Heart recipient self-deports after 48 years in US
(KTLA) – A 55-year-old veteran of the U.S. Army who was wounded in action, awarded the Purple Heart and honorably discharged self-deported this week after being ordered to by federal immigration officials, according to multiple media reports. Sae Joon Park, a green-card holder and father of two grown children, came to the United States from South Korea when he was 7 years old. After joining his mother in Miami, the two of them moved to Los Angeles where he spent the rest of his childhood, NPR reported. After graduating high school, Park joined the Army. He was deployed to Panama in 1989, where the U.S. was involved in Operation Just Cause, an effort to topple Manuel Noriega's regime. One afternoon, Park's platoon came under attack. While returning fire, he was struck in the back by gunfire from Panamanian soldiers. It wasn't until after his discharge, he told NPR, that he began experiencing problems with post-traumatic stress disorder, though at the time, he was unaware the mental health condition was what was causing painful symptoms that he self-medicated with drugs. Law enforcement caught up with him one night in New York when he was attempting to buy crack cocaine. Months later, he skipped a scheduled court hearing. 'I just couldn't stay clean,' the veteran told NPR. 'So, finally when the judge told me, 'Don't come back into my court with dirty urine,' which I knew I would, I got scared and jumped bail.' Charges of possession and bail jumping meant that Park would be unable to become a naturalized citizen or seek relief from a deportation order. After serving three years in prison, a time where he told NPR he'd lost all desire to do drugs, he moved to Hawaii where his family was living. The 55-year-old spent 10 years working at a car dealership while raising his son and daughter. U.S. immigration officials issued Park a removal order after his release from prison, but allowed him to stay in the country as long as he attended regular check-ins with federal agents, a once-typical allowance given to immigrants not considered a deportation priority. That, however, changed earlier this month when he was told by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials that he would be detained and deported if he did not leave on his own. The 55-year-old spent his last remaining days enjoying time with his children and his 85-year-old mother, telling NPR that he's working to accept that it is probably the last time he'll see her. While he doesn't regret joining the Army and getting wounded, telling the outlet that it's a part of his journey, he said, 'I can't believe this is happening in America. That blows my mind, like a country that I fought for.' On June 23, the 55-year-old boarded a flight to a place he barely remembered and left behind the country he called home.
Int'l Business Times
26-06-2025
- Int'l Business Times
Army Veteran Received a Purple Heart After Being Shot During Deployment. He Just Self-Deported After an ICE Warning
Sae Joon Park, a decorated U.S. Army veteran wounded in combat and awarded the Purple Heart, boarded a plane to South Korea after choosing to self-deport in response to an ICE warning, ending nearly 50 years in a country he once risked his life to defend. Park arrived in the U.S. from South Korea at age 7 and grew up in Los Angeles, according to NPR. He enlisted in the Army after high school and was later deployed to Panama. During Operation Just Cause in 1989, Park was shot in the back by enemy fire, an injury that earned him an honorable discharge and a Purple Heart. But once he got home, he struggled with untreated PTSD, which would eventually push him toward substance abuse and, years later, a criminal record. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Park battled crack cocaine addiction and legal troubles, including a possession charge and a skipped court date. These offenses led to a removal order and ultimately barred him from becoming a U.S. citizen — despite his service. Park served three years in prison and later rebuilt his life in Hawaii, working at a car dealership and raising two children. For years, he was allowed to remain in the U.S. with annual ICE check-ins. But during a recent meeting, officials informed him that he now faced imminent deportation unless he left voluntarily. Rather than face detention, Park chose to leave. In the days before his departure, he said goodbye to his mother, his children, and the only country he's truly known. Despite this, Park expressed no regrets about serving in the U.S. military. Originally published on Latin Times
Economic Times
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Economic Times
Sae Joon Park, US war hero, self-deports after 50 years — sparks outrage over immigration system
After almost five decades of calling the United States home, Sae Joon Park, a 55-year-old US Army veteran, faced the hardest moment of his life, which was not combat, not years battling PTSD or addiction, but having to leave the country he fought for, as per a report. ADVERTISEMENT Park, who is a green-card holder, had to self-deport to South Korea because of charges related to drug possession and failure to appear in court from over 15 years ago, said that these were the offences that stemmed from years of untreated PTSD, according to an NPR report. During an interview with NPR before his departure, he said, "I can't believe that this is happening in America," adding, "That blows me away, like a country that I fought for," as quoted in the report. His story shows both the challenges of life after combat and the danger that noncitizen veterans face if caught in the legal system, which has become even harsher after the US president Donald Trump administration pushed for record deportations, according to the NPR when Park was 7 years old, he first came to the United States from South Korea to join his mother in Miami, but within a year, both of them shifted to Los Angeles, where Park had spent the rest of his childhood, as per the up, he always looked up to his uncle, who was a colonel in the South Korean military and that motivated him to enlist in the US Army after his high school got completed, as per NPR report. ADVERTISEMENT When he was 20 years old, Park had completed his basic training, and he was deployed to Panama and soon he became part of the 1989 US invasion known as Operation Just Cause to topple Manuel Noriega's regime, reported NPR. ALSO READ: New York City Mayoral Primary: How long will New Yorkers wait for mayoral primary results with ranked choice voting? ADVERTISEMENT Park shared that Panamanian soldiers began to fire and so he started shooting back, but suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his back, he said, "I realized I was shot," adding, " So I'm thinking, 'Oh my God, I'm paralyzed.' And then thinking, 'Oh my God, I'm not just paralyzed. I'm dying right now,'" as quoted in the report. Then he was flown back to the United States, honourably discharged, and was also awarded a Purple Heart, reported NPR. While his body began to heal but his mind did not, as he revealed, "I was suffering from PTSD severely," adding, "From sleeping nightmares to like, having just fearful thoughts all the time. Couldn't watch horror movies, couldn't hear loud noises," quoted NPR. ADVERTISEMENT However, during that time, Park was not aware that he was dealing with PTSD, and he never sought help, and the trauma slowly took a toll, which eventually led him to turn to drugs to cope, according to the report. He shared, "I had to find some kind of a cure for what I was going through," quoted NPR. ALSO READ: Operation Iran a flop: Trump's boastful Tehran strike may have completely missed the mark despite precision After that, in his 20s and 30s, he battled a crack cocaine addiction, and one the night in New York, when he was meeting up with a dealer, police arrested him, and he later even skipped one of his court hearings, reported NPR. He said, "I just couldn't stay clean," adding, "So finally when the judge told me, 'Don't come back into my court with the dirty urine,' which I knew I would, I got scared and I jumped bail," as quoted in the report. ADVERTISEMENT According to NPR, he was charged with possession of a controlled substance and bail jumping, which also obstructed his chances of naturalization or getting relief from a deportation he was in prison for three years starting in 2009, and following his release, he moved to Hawaii, where his family was living at the time and started working at a car dealership in Honolulu, where he spent 10 years while raising his son and daughter, as per the report. After he came back from prison, he received a removal order but was allowed to stay in the United States with required annual check-ins with immigration agents, which is typical for individuals that ICE does not consider a priority for deportation, as per the that rule changed earlier this month, and during a meeting with local ICE officials in Hawaii, Park said he was warned that he would be detained and deported unless he left voluntarily within the next few weeks, reported led him to say goodbye to his loved ones and then board a plane all by himself to leave the country he fought for, according to the did Sae Joon Park have to leave the US? Because of old drug possession charges and missing a court date, which led to a removal order. What caused his legal troubles? His drug addiction, linked to untreated PTSD, led to charges and bail jumping, as per the report.
Time of India
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Sae Joon Park, US war hero, self-deports after 50 years — sparks outrage over immigration system
After almost five decades of calling the United States home, Sae Joon Park , a 55-year-old US Army veteran , faced the hardest moment of his life, which was not combat, not years battling PTSD or addiction, but having to leave the country he fought for, as per a report. Sae Joon Park's Painful Farewell After Nearly 50 Years in the US Park, who is a green-card holder, had to self-deport to South Korea because of charges related to drug possession and failure to appear in court from over 15 years ago, said that these were the offences that stemmed from years of untreated PTSD, according to an NPR report. During an interview with NPR before his departure, he said, "I can't believe that this is happening in America," adding, "That blows me away, like a country that I fought for," as quoted in the report. His story shows both the challenges of life after combat and the danger that noncitizen veterans face if caught in the legal system, which has become even harsher after the US president Donald Trump administration pushed for record deportations, according to the NPR report. Just when Park was 7 years old, he first came to the United States from South Korea to join his mother in Miami, but within a year, both of them shifted to Los Angeles, where Park had spent the rest of his childhood, as per the report. Live Events Growing up, he always looked up to his uncle, who was a colonel in the South Korean military and that motivated him to enlist in the US Army after his high school got completed, as per NPR report. When he was 20 years old, Park had completed his basic training, and he was deployed to Panama and soon he became part of the 1989 US invasion known as Operation Just Cause to topple Manuel Noriega's regime, reported NPR. ALSO READ: New York City Mayoral Primary: How long will New Yorkers wait for mayoral primary results with ranked choice voting? The Weight of Untreated Trauma Park shared that Panamanian soldiers began to fire and so he started shooting back, but suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his back, he said, "I realized I was shot," adding, " So I'm thinking, 'Oh my God, I'm paralyzed.' And then thinking, 'Oh my God, I'm not just paralyzed. I'm dying right now,'" as quoted in the report. Then he was flown back to the United States, honourably discharged, and was also awarded a Purple Heart , reported NPR. While his body began to heal but his mind did not, as he revealed, "I was suffering from PTSD severely," adding, "From sleeping nightmares to like, having just fearful thoughts all the time. Couldn't watch horror movies, couldn't hear loud noises," quoted NPR. However, during that time, Park was not aware that he was dealing with PTSD, and he never sought help, and the trauma slowly took a toll, which eventually led him to turn to drugs to cope, according to the report. He shared, "I had to find some kind of a cure for what I was going through," quoted NPR. ALSO READ: Operation Iran a flop: Trump's boastful Tehran strike may have completely missed the mark despite precision Legal Trouble and Deportation Order After that, in his 20s and 30s, he battled a crack cocaine addiction, and one the night in New York, when he was meeting up with a dealer, police arrested him, and he later even skipped one of his court hearings, reported NPR. He said, "I just couldn't stay clean," adding, "So finally when the judge told me, 'Don't come back into my court with the dirty urine,' which I knew I would, I got scared and I jumped bail," as quoted in the report. According to NPR, he was charged with possession of a controlled substance and bail jumping, which also obstructed his chances of naturalization or getting relief from a deportation order . Then he was in prison for three years starting in 2009, and following his release, he moved to Hawaii, where his family was living at the time and started working at a car dealership in Honolulu, where he spent 10 years while raising his son and daughter, as per the report. After he came back from prison, he received a removal order but was allowed to stay in the United States with required annual check-ins with immigration agents, which is typical for individuals that ICE does not consider a priority for deportation, as per the report. Saying Goodbye to the Country He Served However, that rule changed earlier this month, and during a meeting with local ICE officials in Hawaii, Park said he was warned that he would be detained and deported unless he left voluntarily within the next few weeks, reported NPR. This led him to say goodbye to his loved ones and then board a plane all by himself to leave the country he fought for, according to the report. FAQs Why did Sae Joon Park have to leave the US? Because of old drug possession charges and missing a court date, which led to a removal order. What caused his legal troubles? His drug addiction, linked to untreated PTSD, led to charges and bail jumping, as per the report.
