SAN FRANCISCO — A green card holder who emigrated to the United States from South Korea at the age of five was taken into custody by immigration officials at San Francisco International Airport, raising significant concerns about his treatment and the reasons for his detention.
Tae Heung “Will” Kim, 35, has lived in the U.S. for three decades and has been a permanent resident since 2011. His family reached out to the National Korean American Education and Service Consortium (NAKASEC) last week, saying he had been detained by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) after returning from his brother’s wedding in South Korea, where he had traveled for two weeks.
Kim, who has aspirations of earning a PhD with a focus on Lyme Disease vaccine development at Texas A&M University, was reportedly informed by his legal counsel that his detention stemmed from a past drug-related charge. According to his attorney, Eric Lee, Kim was charged with possession of a small amount of marijuana in 2011 but had completed community service following that incident.
The lawyer expressed frustration over the challenges he faced in communicating with both Kim and the federal officials responsible for his client’s detention. Lee described his attempt to speak with a supervisor at the airport’s CBP facility as a “hostile conversation,” claiming the official denied that Kim had the right to legal counsel and asserted that U.S. constitutional protections did not apply to him.
CBP later released a statement indicating Kim’s past charge as the basis for his detention, a revelation that surprised his legal team. A CBP spokesperson noted that if a green card holder is convicted of a drug offense, they may face immigration proceedings, leading to detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Describing the conditions of his client’s detention, Lee reported that Kim was held in a room without natural light, forced to sleep in a chair, and kept in an environment where the lights were always on. The facilities provided him with minimal food options, mainly airport concessions, and raised concerns over whether he had access to necessary medication for his asthma.
Lee further criticized CBP guidelines that stipulate detainees should not be held in airport facilities for more than 72 hours, noting that Kim remained in custody for a period exceeding that limit. Reports indicated that on Tuesday morning, a congressional staff member informed Kim’s lawyer that he had been moved to an ICE detention facility in South Texas, although confirmation from the Department of Homeland Security remains pending.
The situation underscores ongoing tensions surrounding immigration policy and enforcement as families navigate the complexities of maintaining legal residency in the U.S. The case has drawn attention and raised questions about the treatment of foreign nationals within the immigration system.
As this story develops, advocates for immigrant rights continue to call for transparency and accountability from immigration authorities.
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