In a case that has ignited widespread concern, a researcher affiliated with Texas A&M University found himself ensnared in an unexpected immigration detention ordeal, leading to over a week of confinement at a major U.S. airport and now facing the daunting prospect of deportation proceedings. This unsettling development underscores the complexities and human impact of current U.S. immigration policy on even legal permanent residents.
Tae Heung “Will” Kim, a dedicated scholar and a green card holder, was returning to the United States from South Korea, where he had attended his brother’s wedding. Upon his arrival at the San Francisco International Airport on July 21, he was inexplicably taken into custody by immigration authorities, marking the beginning of a prolonged and bewildering detention.
For more than seven days, Kim’s existence was confined to the airport premises, where, according to his family and legal representatives, he resorted to sleeping in a chair and subsisting on food purchased within the terminal. The lack of transparent communication regarding the reasons for his initial immigration detention at the busy international hub remains a critical point of contention and concern for all involved.
His attorney, Karl Krooth, speaking at a news conference, highlighted the ongoing opacity surrounding Kim’s case. Krooth revealed that his client has since been transferred to an immigration detention facility in Arizona and is now officially subject to deportation proceedings, a severe legal process that could result in his forced departure from the country where he has spent most of his life.
This incident occurs amidst a heightened period of immigration enforcement, where the executive branch has expanded its authority, sometimes clashing with federal judges. Reports of American citizens, legal permanent residents, and visa holders being stopped and held at airports have become more frequent, creating an environment of uncertainty for many under the current U.S. immigration policy.
Kim, now 40, immigrated to the U.S. at the age of five, spending the majority of his life building roots within the nation. After assisting in his family’s doll-manufacturing business following a personal tragedy, he embarked on a new academic chapter, enrolling in a doctoral program at Texas A&M University. Notably, his research contributes to vital public health efforts, including the development of a vaccine for Lyme disease.
Attorney Krooth vehemently criticized the nature of Kim’s airport detention, asserting, “The airport is not a detention facility. The airport is not in the courtroom. And Customs and Border Protection officers are interrogators, they are not neutral arbiters.” His powerful statement emphasizes the fundamental procedural discrepancies perceived in such immigration encounters.
The protracted detention of a green card holder at a major international airport, followed by formal deportation proceedings, raises profound questions about due process and the rights of legal residents within the United States. This case serves as a poignant reminder of the far-reaching implications of federal U.S. immigration policy on individuals and families across the nation.
