Overview

• Park, a 55-year-old Purple Heart recipient wounded in the 1989 Panama conflict, received an ICE ultimatum to leave the U.S. within three weeks or face forced deportation.
• His green card was revoked after a 2009 drug possession and bail-jumping conviction, and his deferred action status was terminated by ICE in June 2025.
• Park developed PTSD and struggled with drug addiction after his military service, which led to the conviction that triggered his removal proceedings.
• He self-deported to South Korea on June 24, 2025, leaving behind his elderly mother and adult children in Hawaii.
• Park’s less than 12-month service and the Panama operation’s non-hostile designation disqualified him from expedited naturalization reserved for veterans.