“Sir, we have not deported US citizens or military veterans,” was the response of Kristie Noem, the US Secretary of Homeland Security, when asked in a House hearing last Thursday how many US veterans the Trump administration had deported. She was met with US Representative Seth Magaziner holding up a tablet that showed a zoom call with Sae Joon Park, a Veteran who was forced to self-deport.
Park moved to the United States from South Korea when he was just seven. During his time serving the US military, Park sustained two bullet injuries, earning him the Purple Heart award. After serving, Park suffered from PTSD, leading him to substance abuse. He was later sentenced to prison for drug possession charges. Afterwards, he became sober, was released, and started a family in Hawaii.
Earlier this year, Park checked in his annual meeting with federal officials to verify his sobriety and employment status. Despite being a Green Card holder, he was suddenly presented with several options, which all ended in his inevitable deportation. Park opted to self-deport and is currently residing in South Korea, separated from his family in the US, including his elderly mother who is suffering from dementia. According to the The Los Angeles Times, Noem claimed she would “look into” his case. Park is thankful for the hearing and hopes to return home soon.
The neglect of Park’s service comes from a Trump administration policy stating: “military service does not exempt aliens from violating US immigration laws,” rescinding the Biden administration’s instructions for ICE to consider military service before deporting non-citizens.
Through the detention, deportation, and dehumanizing of Park and other veterans—from calling them “aliens” to separating them from their families and deporting them to countries they haven’t been in since they were children—ICE works against its goal of keeping Americans safe.
Jose Barco is another veteran who was recently deported. Barco immigrated to the US from Venezuela when he was seven. Barco went on to serve two tours in Iraq for the US military and sustained many injuries, including catching on fire while lifting a burning car to save soldiers and suffering a traumatic brain injury from an explosion. Barco was also rewarded the Purple Heart for his services.
Similar to Park, Barco turned to substance abuse due to PTSD, which caused him to act irrationally. Later, he was sentenced to 52 years in jail for firing a gun at a house party, which unintentionally shot a woman. He was released after 15 years for good behavior.
Despite him serving time, he was detained by ICE on his way to reunite with his wife and daughter. Barco resided in a detention center in the US as Venezuela refused to take him. His family remained unaware of his whereabouts until he was deported to Mexico.
While Barco’s criminal past makes this case align with ICE’s goals to keep American citizens safe, the methods could have better respected the veteran who has done the work to deserve a second chance.
Godfrey Wade is another veteran facing similar circumstances. Wade was 15 years old when he moved from Jamaica to the US. He later served in the army where he received many commendations for good conduct and wartime service.
Wade was in the process of receiving his citizenship when he was stopped on the road and arrested for driving without a license. Wade was placed in a detention center, where he currently resides waiting to be deported. According to ALIVE magazine, Wade admits to being in America illegally and regrets dragging his family into his mess. He hopes his service can be taken into account and his ignorance forgiven.
Tricia Mclaughlin, the Department of Homeland Security’s Assistant Secretary, claimed that back in 2014, an immigration judge ordered him to be deported for not showing up to his immigration hearing. She also claimed, “this repeat offender is now off our streets and no longer able to terrorize Americans,” referring to Wade’s alleged time in jail for charges which range from driving on a suspended license to domestic abuse. These allegations have been disproven multiple times.
The veterans in these stories have given up a lot for their country and are now being betrayed by it. These cases raise questions as to whether ICE is really fulfilling its promise of keeping America safe by neglecting veterans’ military service and solely focusing on their criminal activity, which they have served their sentence for and reestablished their life from.
On Veterans Day, President Donald Trump stated that every veteran earned respect and gratitude from the entire nation. So why doesn’t he show veterans like Park, Barco, Wade and many others the respect and gratitude he says they deserve?
