During a December 11th hearing, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem faced questioning regarding the deportation of U.S. military veterans. Representative Seth Magaziner specifically challenged Noem on the deportation of Sae Joon Park, a Purple Heart recipient, who was deported to Korea despite having served in the U.S. Army and struggling with PTSD. Magaziner accused Noem of lacking the ability to distinguish between deserving veterans and those who pose a threat. Noem stated she would review Park’s case but maintained that all laws must be enforced.
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On Friday morning, Jose Barco, a Venezuelan-born, Purple Heart recipient and army veteran who served two tours in Iraq, was deported from an Arizona immigration detention facility. Barco’s legal team and family were not notified of the plans for his deportation to Nogales, Mexico, and have yet to confirm his current location. Despite enlisting in the army at 17 and applying for citizenship, his application was never processed. Barco had previously served 15 years in prison for attempted murder, with his release and subsequent detention by ICE leading to his deportation.
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Sae Joon Park, a U.S. Army veteran who served in the invasion of Panama, self-deported to South Korea after nearly five decades in the U.S. His removal stemmed from drug-related charges and failure to appear in court, stemming from untreated PTSD from his time in combat. Despite being awarded a Purple Heart and honorably discharged, Park struggled with addiction and the legal system, ultimately receiving a removal order. Facing imminent detention and deportation, Park chose voluntary departure, leaving behind his family and the country he had served.
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Marlon Parris, a U.S. Iraq War veteran and long-term legal resident, faces deportation following a May 9th immigration judge ruling. Despite possessing a Green Card for decades and a prior ICE determination allowing him to remain, his Green Card was confiscated in 2023, leading to his January 2024 detention. The judge, while sympathetic, ruled that sufficient evidence existed for deportation, a decision his attorney is appealing. Parris’s wife attributes his detention to a change in presidential administration and the subsequent stricter immigration policies.
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John Q. Hosedrinker