Go to contents

South Korean illegal immigrant arrested in the US

Posted February. 03, 2025 09:09,   

Updated February. 03, 2025 09:09

한국어

Anxiety in the Korean American community is rising as news was reported that a Korean illegally residing in the country was arrested for the first time as part of U.S. President Donald Trump’s focus on deporting illegal immigrants since taking office on Jan 20.

“On Jan. 28, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Atlanta, Georgia, found a South Korean guilty on charges including possession of sexually explicit material depicting minors. Brave Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents continue to arrest illegal immigrant criminals across communities in the United States,” said White House Spokesperson Caroline Levitt. A Korean national was sentenced to five years in prison and 20 years of probation for possession of child pornography. The specific circumstances of the person's arrest are not known.

The second Trump administration will prioritize crackdown on illegal immigrants with criminal records. They will also immediately arrest and deport illegal immigrants without criminal records found during the crackdown.

According to Korean organizations in the U.S., such as the Committee of Korean Americans (CKA), it is estimated that of the approximately 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States, approximately 140,000 to 150,000 (approximately 1.3 to 1.4%) are of Korean descent. Reportedly, there are about 20,000 Korean adoptees who were legally adopted as children but became illegal immigrants because their adoptive parents did not properly follow procedures such as applying for nationality.


김보라 purple@donga.com