Sae Joon Park, an Army veteran who moved to the U.S. at age 7, faced deportation threats due to a prior drug offense. Despite living in the U.S. for nearly five decades, he self-deported to South Korea, leaving behind his elderly mother and two children. Reflecting on his situation, Park expressed disbelief and sorrow, acknowledging missed family events and mourning his departure. His attorney pointed out the serious implications of immigrant crimes under U.S. immigration law, further complicating this poignant situation for Park.
"It's so real. I was in disbelief until the last minute, but reality is hitting real hard, and it is definitely real," Park told television station KITV in Hawaii.
"I won't be there for a funeral, like my daughter getting married, just there's a lot of things connected with it. I definitely know that," he said.
"They were ready to lock me up, and that is so unfair, and so many people are getting locked up," he said.
"And I think generally in society that is what people would consider very serious crimes for immigrants to commit," Park's attorney Danicole Ramos said.
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