L.A. Army vet who self-deported is focus of congressional hearing

The saga of a Los Angeles Army veteran who immigrated legally to the United States, was wounded in combat and self-deported to South Korea earlier this year has become a flashpoint during tense congressional hearings on the Trump administration's immigration policies.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem came under fire Thursday on Capitol Hill over military veterans deported during the war. crackdown on immigration that began earlier this year, including in Los Angeles.

“Sir, we have not deported U.S. citizens or military veterans,” Noem responded to a question from Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.).

The assistant then held up a tablet showing the Zoom connection to Purple Heart winner Se Joon Park in South Korea. The congressman said Park has “sacrificed more for this country than most people have ever done” and asked Noem whether she would investigate Park given her discretion as a Cabinet member. Noem promised to “carefully review his case.”

Park, reached in Seoul on Thursday evening, said he was skeptical Noem would follow through on her promise but said he had “goosebumps” watching the congressional hearing.

“It was amazing. And then I get a ton of phone calls from all my friends at home and everywhere. I'm very grateful for everything that happened today,” Park, 56, said, noting that friends told him that a clip of his story appeared on ABC's “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” show on Thursday night.

The late-night host, in his opening monologue, introduced footage of Park at the congressional hearing.

“Is anyone okay with this? Seriously, all jokes aside, we deported a veteran with a Purple Heart?” Kimmel said, adding that Republicans “claim to care a lot about veterans, but they really don't.”

Park immigrated to the United States legally when he was 7, grew up in Koreatown and the San Fernando Valley, and joined the Army after graduating from Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks in 1988.

Sae Joon Park received a Purple Heart while serving in the military.

(From Park Se Joon)

The green card holder was sent to Panama in 1989 as the US attempted to overthrow the country's de facto leader, General Manuel Noriega. Park was shot twice and was honorably discharged. Suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, he self-medicated with illegal drugs, went to prison after being released on bail on drug charges, got sober and raised two children in Hawaii.

Earlier this year, when Park showed up for his annual meeting with federal officials to review his sobriety and employment, he was given the option of being immediately detained and deported or wearing an ankle monitor for three weeks until he got his affairs in order before leave the country for a decade.

At the time, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin said Park had an “extensive criminal history” and had received a final order of removal with the possibility of self-deportation.

Park decided to leave the country voluntarily. He initially struggled to acclimatize to a country he hasn't lived in since childhood, but on Thursday night said his mental state – and his Korean language skills – had improved.

“It hasn't been easy. Of course I miss home like crazy,” he said. “I'm doing the best I can. I'm usually a very positive person, so I feel like everything happens for a reason and I'm just trying to hang in there until I hopefully get home.”

Among Park's main fears when he left the United States in June was that his 86-year-old mother, who suffers from dementia, would die and he would not be able to return to the county. But her ignorance of his situation was something of a strange blessing, Park said.

“She really doesn’t even know I’m here. So every time I talk to her, she says, “Oh, where are you?” And I tell her, and she's like, “Oh, when are you coming home?” Oh, why are you here? – said Puck. “In a weird way, it's actually good because she doesn't have to worry about me all the time. But at the same time, I'd like to be there for her while she's going through it.”