As the 2024 presidential election draws near, conversations around immigration and veterans' rights come back into focus. U.S. Army veteran Sae Joon Park, who came to America from South Korea at the age of 7, is one of the many immigrant veterans grappling with the fear of deportation due to past policies. After a drug-related arrest in 2009, Park was granted deferred action as a veteran but was discovered to have a removal order this June. Instead of facing detention, he decided to self-deport to South Korea, a country he left as a child.
They allowed me to join, serve the country – front line, taking bullets for this country. That should mean something, Park expressed, shedding light on the treatment of veterans under current immigration policies. The Trump administration had previously attempted to tighten immigration paths for noncitizen military members, which veterans advocate against. With similar policies reemerging, many veterans are left vulnerable.
Experts warn this harms military recruiting and national security. Under Biden's administration, policies to protect immigrant veterans have since been rescinded, leaving these individuals to navigate a challenging path with uncertain outcomes. Several lawmakers are proposing new bills to safeguard immigrant service members in light of these challenges, echoing sentiments that honoring their service should come with adequate protections.
They allowed me to join, serve the country – front line, taking bullets for this country. That should mean something, Park expressed, shedding light on the treatment of veterans under current immigration policies. The Trump administration had previously attempted to tighten immigration paths for noncitizen military members, which veterans advocate against. With similar policies reemerging, many veterans are left vulnerable.
Experts warn this harms military recruiting and national security. Under Biden's administration, policies to protect immigrant veterans have since been rescinded, leaving these individuals to navigate a challenging path with uncertain outcomes. Several lawmakers are proposing new bills to safeguard immigrant service members in light of these challenges, echoing sentiments that honoring their service should come with adequate protections.
