Travelers extracurricular San Francisco International Airport (SFO) successful San Francisco, California, US, connected Friday, May 23, 2025.
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A researcher astatine Texas A&M University flying location from overseas was detained for much than a week by immigration authorities astatine the San Francisco International Airport, sleeping successful a seat and surviving disconnected nutrient sold successful the airport, his household and attorneys said Thursday.
It was unclear wherefore Tae Heung "Will" Kim, who is simply a ineligible imperishable nonmigratory with a greenish card, was detained July 21, his lawyer Karl Krooth said astatine a quality conference. Kim, who went to South Korea to be his brother's wedding, is present successful removal proceedings to beryllium deported and is being held astatine an migration detention installation successful Arizona, Krooth said, adding that helium has yet to speech to his client.
Customs and Border Protection said successful a connection that immoderate greenish paper holder who has a cause discourtesy is successful usurpation of their ineligible presumption and tin beryllium detained. His attorneys said Kim was charged successful 2011 with misdemeanor marijuana possession successful Texas, wherever recreational usage is illegal.
His attorneys declined to sermon those charges Thursday. But 1 lawyer told the Washington Post, which archetypal reported connected Kim's detention, that helium fulfilled a assemblage work request and successfully petitioned for nondisclosure to seal the discourtesy from the nationalist record.
Since returning to the White House, President Donald Trump has launched an unprecedented run of migration enforcement that has pushed the limits of enforcement powerfulness and clashed with national judges trying to restrain him. American citizens, ineligible imperishable residents, visa holders and visitors have been stopped astatine airports and detained for days. Some have faced deportation for insignificant infractions.
Kim, 40, has spent astir of his beingness successful the U.S., arriving astatine the property of 5. After helping retired successful his family's doll-manufacturing concern pursuing the decease of his father, helium precocious entered a doctoral programme astatine Texas A&M and is helping to probe a vaccine for Lyme disease.
His lawyer said holding Kim astatine the airdrome denied him his close to owed process.
"The airdrome is not a detention facility. The airdrome is not successful the migration courtroom. And Customs and Border Protection officers are interrogators, they are not neutral arbiters," helium said.
Krooth said his lawsuit was moved betwixt 2 tiny rooms successful the daytime astatine the airport.
"He was moved wrong what's called secondary inspection astatine slightest doubly per time from 1 country wherever determination were nary windows," Krooth said.
At nighttime helium was moved to different country wherever helium slept successful a chair, Krooth said. An airdrome spokesperson said successful an email that "the airdrome is not notified erstwhile CBP denies introduction to a passenger," referring inquiries to national officials.
His attorneys were not allowed entree to Kim portion helium was astatine the airdrome and helium was fixed lone 1 telephone telephone and periodic texts with his brother. There has been nary connection with Kim since he's been transferred to Arizona, Krooth said.
Kim's mother, Yehoon "Sharon" Lee, told reporters Thursday done an interpreter that her lad has asthma and she worries astir him getting due aesculapian attraction successful detention.
Lee told the Washington Post that she and her hubby entered the U.S. connected concern visas successful the 1980s, and by the clip they became naturalized citizens, Kim was excessively aged to get automatic citizenship.
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