New York Governor Kathy Hochul has granted a pardon to Sae Joon Park, a Korean-born U.S. Army veteran who had been compelled to self-deport last year after nearly five decades living in the United States. Park, 57, who received a Purple Heart for his military service, had served in Panama during the mission to capture General Manuel Noriega and returned with injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder that contributed to a struggle with addiction.

Park’s legal troubles began in 2007 with a drug possession conviction in Queens, followed by a bail-jumping charge in 2009 after he failed to appear at a court hearing. He later turned himself in and served his sentence, with deportation deferred while he stayed out of trouble. Over the years, Park maintained sobriety and appeared to rebuild his life. However, under the Trump administration’s intensified immigration enforcement policies, authorities in June 2025 informed him that he must leave the country or face deportation. He chose to self-deport.

The recent pardon clears the bail-jumping conviction from Park’s record, a factor his lawyer, Daniel Ramos, says may prompt immigration officials to reconsider the order for his removal. It remains uncertain whether the pardon will enable Park to return to the United States. Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not respond to requests for comment.

In a statement released through his attorney, Park expressed gratitude for the pardon and a hope to reunite with his family and return to the nation he served. Park’s case has drawn attention from Democrats, including Representative Seth Magaziner of Rhode Island, who highlighted the issue of deported U.S. veterans during a congressional hearing last year. When then-Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem denied that veterans had been deported, Magaziner presented Park’s testimony via video from South Korea to challenge that assertion.

Park was one of six pardons announced by Governor Hochul last week. Alongside him, Keisy Guerrero Mariano, a Dominican Republic native facing deportation after serving prison time for an assault conviction, was also granted clemency. The four other recipients were New Yorkers with prior convictions related to drug offenses, firearms, and driving under the influence.

These pardons come amid ongoing tensions between New York State and the federal government over immigration enforcement. Earlier this month, New York’s Local Cops, Local Crimes Act took effect, restricting local law enforcement’s cooperation with federal immigration authorities. President Trump quickly criticized Hochul on social media, alleging—without evidence—that she had released thousands of hardened criminals and endorsing her Republican opponent in the upcoming gubernatorial race.

Governor Hochul, a Democrat, has granted 125 pardons and 20 commutations during her tenure. She stated that her clemency decisions reflect recommendations from the state’s Clemency Advisory Panel and focus on individuals who have remained crime-free for significant periods and have made positive community contributions. In a similar 2025 case, Hochul pardoned Somchith Vatthanavong, a Laotian refugee whose decades-old manslaughter conviction endangered him with deportation; she cited the imperative to balance public safety with forgiveness.

Park faces the difficult reality of returning to South Korea, where he has limited language skills and few personal connections, while his immediate family remains in the United States. “Everything got taken away from me, just like that,” he said, reflecting on his forced departure from a country he called home for nearly half a century.