Deported U.S. Army veteran Sae Joon Park has opened up about the horrors of being away from a country he has called home for around 50 years. As Immigration and Customs Enforcement continues to deport people they deem non-citizens, families are being torn apart, and even individuals who once served the country are being asked to leave.
This is exactly what happened with Sae Joon Park, who valiantly fought in Operation Just Cause in 1989 against Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega and was shot twice. For his bravery and service, Park was honored with the Purple Heart. Fast forward to 2025: the Army Veteran had to self-deport to South Korea after being on ICE’s list.
Park has now talked about how scary it is to think about not being able to move back to his country and family. Speaking to CBS News, he said, “It’s scary. There’s a good chance I’ll never make it back home.”
Sae Joon Park a disabled Purple Heart veteran deported to Korea. He has lived in the United States since he was seven years old. pic.twitter.com/3fNeDR8WBt
— RAYMI THE MINX (@raymitheminx) December 12, 2025
Park held a permanent resident card in the U.S. However, he failed to appear in court for a drug possession charge about 15 years ago. This changed his legal status, and he was asked to contact ICE periodically for regular checks. Things were going alright until the summer of 2025.
With Donald Trump returning to power, ICE started to crack down on individuals they thought entered the U.S. illegally. As Park reached out to the organization for his regular check-in in June this year, he was told that he was going to be deported despite his history in the military. Instead of being handcuffed, Park decided to leave the country himself and move to South Korea.
Recalling the dreadful process, the vet stated, “He had his cuffs out. He was ready to detain me, put cuffs on me and everything, which was unbelievable. Why would I go back to jail? I didn’t do anything wrong. It took him a while, but he got the OK from the supervisor to put an ankle bracelet on me, and I had three weeks to remove myself.”
ICE forces U.S. Army Purple Heart veteran to deport—after taking 2 bullets in combat.
Sae Joon Park “miraculously” survived being shot in spine—then given 3 weeks to deport to South Korea.
Will miss dying mother’s funeral—then his daughter’s wedding.
Was legally in U.S. under… pic.twitter.com/laNMSuPq2H
— LongTime🤓FirstTime👨💻 (@LongTimeHistory) June 24, 2025
Park is now unsure about meeting his family again, which includes his kids and his mother, who still live in Hawaii. What makes his story even more heartbreaking is that his mother has Alzheimer’s. He is now getting used to living in South Korea after residing in the U.S. for five decades.
Park’s case drew public attention recently during Kristi Noem’s testimony to Congress. While Homeland Security Secretary claimed that no Army veterans had been deported by ICE, Rhode Island Representative Seth Magaziner organised a Zoom call with Park and shared his story.
Magaziner explained, “Like many veterans, he struggled with PTSD and substance abuse after his service. He was arrested in the 1990s for some minor drug offenses, nothing serious. He never hurt anyone besides himself, and he has been clean and sober for 14 years.”
Noem then said that she will look into his case. Park is one of the thousands of individuals who have been separated from their families due to deportations. He is still awaiting a response from the officials despite Noem’s assurances.
