John Shin, 37, a Korean American violinist from Utah who had been facing deportation, is no longer under removal proceedings, according to reports on the 10th.
The Denver Gazette and other outlets reported that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) decided not to continue with his deportation case after the court dismissed it. By declining to appeal the ruling, ICE effectively allowed Shin to restart the process of obtaining lawful residency status.
Shin immigrated to the United States with his father at age 10 but never obtained legal status. He maintained residency through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program until losing eligibility in 2019 following a DUI conviction.
In 2021, he married DaNae Snow, a U.S. citizen, but their green card application was delayed when Snow lost her job during the pandemic, leaving them unable to meet financial requirements. While working on a telecommunications project in another state in August, Shin was detained by ICE at Fort Carson, Colorado, and held at the Aurora Detention Center for 17 days.
Shin, who holds a master’s degree in violin performance and has performed with the Utah Symphony Orchestra, was released on September 4 after posting $25,000 bail and returned home with an ankle monitor.
His attorney, Adam Crayk, later filed a motion to terminate the deportation proceedings, which the court granted on September 8. The government had 30 days to appeal but took no action, finalizing the case.
Crayk stated, “By declining to appeal, the government effectively ended all deportation proceedings. It’s a complete victory,” adding that Shin now stands a strong chance of obtaining permanent residency within about 16 months.
BY HANKIL KANG [kang.hankil@koreadaily.com]
