Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem arrived on Capitol Hill this week for what was expected to be another contentious hearing on immigration enforcement, and she found herself in a moment that unfolded in real time and quickly took on a life of its own.
During questioning, Rep. Seth Magaziner of Rhode Island pressed Noem on whether the Department of Homeland Security had deported U.S. military veterans. The exchange appeared straightforward at first. Magaziner asked how many veterans had been deported. Noem answered without hesitation: “We haven’t deported veterans.”
Magaziner came prepared and said the committee was being joined on Zoom by a combat veteran he said had been deported to South Korea. A screen was activated, and the veteran appeared live while lawmakers and the secretary looked on.
The veteran, Sae Joon Park, is a former U.S. Army combat veteran and Purple Heart recipient. He was deported earlier this year to South Korea, a country he had not lived in since he was a child. His deportation stemmed from drug-related offenses that dated back decades, according to reporting on the case. Park, who was shot twice while fighting in the 1989 U.S. invasion of Panama, made a brief appearance, but the impact of the moment was not.
MAGAZINER: How many veterans have you deported?
NOEM: We haven’t deported veterans
MAGAZINER: We are now joined on Zoom by a combat veteran you deported to Korea pic.twitter.com/oz8Epvf4I4
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 11, 2025
Magaziner used the live appearance to challenge Noem directly, arguing that the department’s enforcement actions had reached people he described as deserving of a closer look and respect. At one point, he told Noem she did not seem to understand the difference between “the good guys and the bad guys,” while pointing to Park’s military service.
Noem did not walk back her initial statement during the exchange, she said she was not familiar with the specific case and told lawmakers she would look into it. The hearing moved on, but the damage was already done. Clips of the exchange began circulating online almost immediately, quickly becoming one of the most shared moments from the session with over 7.7 million views in one post on X.
Democrats accused Noem of misconduct and demanded accountability for immigration actions they say have swept too widely. Magaziner also cited other cases during his questioning, including situations involving veterans’ family members who were detained or deported. He argued that DHS should use its discretion more carefully, especially when dealing with people who have served in the military or whose offenses occurred long ago.
Noem maintained that DHS is enforcing the law as written and she acknowledged the individual cases presented by lawmakers and said they would be reviewed, but she did not concede that veterans had been wrongly deported as a matter of policy.
The hearing grew more heated later when Noem left early, saying she needed to attend a FEMA meeting. Democrats objected, claiming the meeting had been postponed, which sparked another round of accusations that she was dodging accountability as she exited the room.
Democrats pointed to the exchange as proof that DHS’s public messaging does not always match its enforcement record. Most Americans are concerned about productive immigrants being swept away, when the messaging was a focus on criminals. For Democrats, it was a moment to seize on, as the deportation of an American war hero is almost indefensible.
