Noem proven wrong about US deporting veterans in House hearing
Sec. Kristi Noem was proven wrong about deporting veterans during a House Homeland Security hearing.
Sae Joon Park is back in the global spotlight.
Park, a U.S. Army veteran who lived in America for nearly five decades, self-deported to South Korea after immigration officials said he would otherwise be forcefully removed from the country back this summer.
“I just feel that this is unfair for those who fought for our country to be treated this way,” Park said in an exclusive interview with USA TODAY on Friday, Dec. 12.
Less than 24 hours earlier, during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem faced a barrage of questions related to the department’s immigration efforts, including whether U.S. military veterans have been deported under the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
Park joined the hearing at the invitation of Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-Rhode Island, after the congressman asked Noem how many U.S. military veterans had been deported.
“We have not deported U.S. citizens or military veterans,” Noem replied.
When Magaziner introduced Park, a U.S. Army combat veteran and Purple Heart recepient shot twice while serving in Panama in the late 80s, and asked whether Noem would review Park’s case, the secretary said she would look at his case.
Speaking nearly half-way around the world on Friday, Park told USA TODAY his status had not changed, and although he wants to return to the states, he said he is not sure whether it will happen.
“No one has reached out to me,” Park said.
Who is Sae Joon Park? Here’s what to know about the veteran and his hope to return to American soil.
Who is Sae Joon Park?
Park, who told USA TODAY he turned 56 this year, said he was a private in the Army and graduated from basic training at Fort Benning in Georgia in September 1989.
That same year, he was shot twice while serving with the U.S. Army in Panama.
When did Sae Joon Park come to the United States?
Park came to America at the age of 7 from South Korea on a green card, his attorney Danicole Ramos, previously told USA TODAY.
After high school, he enlisted in the army, and was deployed to Panama, where he fought in the 1989 operation to overthrow the country’s de facto leader.
He was shot twice during that conflict, was honorably discharged, and received a Purple Heart for his bravery.
He previously lived in Van Nuys, a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, and before self-deporting to Asia he lived in Honolulu with his two adult children, a daughter and son, whom he shares with his ex-wife.
When did Sae Joon Park self deport to South Korea?
Park self-deported to South Korea in June 23, 2025.
Park told USA TODAY he is currently living in Seoul, but may soon move to Busan, a large port city in South Korea.
Why did Sae Joon Park self deport?
Park’s removal order stemmed from an addiction in the 1990s when he was arrested for minor drug offenses, Magaziner said.
According to previous USA TODAY reporting, Park turned to drugs for relief from nightmares while suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and one night, was arrested for buying crack cocaine. He later missed a court-mandated drug test and served more than two years in prison, his attorney said.
Park said he hopes to one day return to the U.S.
Contributing: Karissa Waddick with USA TODAY
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund
