Green card holder detained at U.S. airport, denied legal counsel

He was stopped at San Francisco International Airport on July 21 while returning from South Korea, where he had traveled to attend his brother’s wedding. Since then, he has been shuffled into a shadowy and unaccountable immigration system that has not only separated him from his family and studies, but also raised serious concerns about human rights violations.

This case is not just about one man. It is a grim illustration of a system that too often strips immigrants of their dignity and due process.

According to statements from the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC), Kim was first held in inhumane conditions at the airport, reportedly in a cramped windowless space with no bed and constant lighting. He has since been transferred to an ICE facility in Florence, Arizona—without access to legal representation or even confirmation of his well-being.

His mother, Sharon Lee, has made a heart-wrenching appeal to the public. “My son hasn’t even finished school yet. I just want him to return and complete his education,” she said through tears during a press conference.

For a mother to be kept in the dark about her child’s location and health for days on end is not something that should happen in a nation that prides itself on the rule of law and respect for human rights.

Kim has lived in the United States since the age of five. He is a legal resident. He was conducting advanced research on Lyme disease vaccines at Texas A&M University. Yet he now sits in detention, possibly facing deportation proceedings over a decade-old minor marijuana possession charge from 2011, a charge for which he completed community service.

Whether or not this prior offense constitutes grounds for deportation, Kim deserves an explanation and access to legal counsel. Anything less is not only unjust but unconstitutional.

The Fifth and Sixth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution guarantee due process and the right to an attorney. Denying a lawful permanent resident access to those rights is not only legally questionable but morally indefensible. Federal agencies have so far failed to explain why Kim has been detained or why his family and attorneys were denied information for days.

The United States calls itself a nation of immigrants. Yet the treatment of Tae-Heung Kim reflects an alarming trend where immigration enforcement ignores basic civil liberties in the name of border control. If the government can detain a green card holder without due process, then the protections offered by lawful status are far more fragile than we are led to believe.

An online petition calling for Kim’s immediate release is now circulating. Advocacy groups, including NAKASEC, have contacted lawmakers from both parties, including Reps. Nancy Pelosi and Young Kim, to intervene. They must act. This is not just about one man’s future—it is about reaffirming that the U.S. legal system applies to everyone, regardless of where they were born.

By Mooyoung Lee [lee.mooyoung@koreadaily.com]