Korean green card holders in US fear traveling abroad
International passengers line up to check in at Los Angeles International Airport, Nov. 27, 2024. Korean green card holders in the U.S. fear they may not be permitted to return to the country after overseas trips even if they have not violated any laws, amid heightened scrutiny at airports. AP-Yonhap
Residents concerned over possibility of being unable to return amid heightened scrutiny at airports
LOS ANGELES — Mina Kim never imagined that the two speeding tickets she received a few years ago would come back to haunt her. With less than a month before her flight to Korea, the U.S. green card holder is scrambling to figure out if there's a risk she may not be able to return to her California home.
Traffic violations haven't jeopardized immigration status in the past, but now, many say no situation is completely safe under the new Donald Trump administration.
"I consulted four immigration lawyers and all of them are saying the same thing," Kim, 38, said. "There shouldn't be a problem, but there's no guarantee that there won't be a problem."
Recent reports and anecdotes of heightened scrutiny at airports and border crossings have put even lawful permanent U.S. residents, also known as green card holders, on edge as they fear their status could be revoked.
These concerns are further fueled by the Trump administration's frustration over unmet deportation targets, triggering more aggressive enforcement measures — even against green card holders who have traditionally held the most legal rights in the country after U.S. citizens.
Stories of both first- and secondhand experiences with nerve-wracking airport interrogations have been circulating online, within Korean communities and beyond.
"I was sent to secondary inspection and held up for more than two hours," wrote one user on Reddit, a popular online discussion forum. "I was asked a lot of questions and eventually let go, but still don’t know why I was held up for so long."
Another user wrote on the popular Korean forum, HeyKorean, "A friend of mine had her green card revoked because her records showed that she had lived in the U.S. four years ago without legal status for about three months while transitioning from a travel visa to a student visa. Any illegal records in the past can seem to pose a risk."
Hundreds of threads on Reddit and MissyUSA, the largest Korean online forum in the U.S., share their personal experiences entering the U.S., serving either as a reassurance or warning for those planning to travel.
"I already bought tickets to visit Korea in the summer for my mom's 70th birthday, but I've decided to invite her here instead," said Oh Yoo-jin, 40, who has been a lawful permanent U.S. resident since 2019. "Some people think I'm overreacting, but I just have too much at stake to take the risk."
Kim, the California resident who worried about her speeding tickets, is still contemplating, but is likely to move forward with her trip.
"I've paid the fines, so there should not be a problem," she said. "If they make a problem out of this, then there is a real problem with the U.S."
Immigration lawyers agree that the Trump administration is making travel riskier than ever, but each individual needs to know their rights and privileges before leaving the country.
"Border officers have a lot of discretion, so it's really hard to give one general rule," Jong Chun, an immigration lawyer, said. "But U.S. law does state that green card holders who haven't broken any laws shouldn't be barred from entering the U.S."
Although not the answer clients want to hear, Chun says, he advises people not to travel if they're really worried.
"It's a time of extreme uncertainty," he said.
A growing number of organizations are issuing travel warnings as well.
Brown University recently told its students and staff to postpone travel if not urgent.
"Out of an abundance of caution, we encourage international students, staff, faculty and scholars — including U.S. visa holders and green card holders — to consider postponing or delaying personal travel outside the United States until more information is available from the U.S. Department of State," the school said.
"Potential changes in travel restrictions, travel bans, visa procedures, and reentry requirements may affect travelers’ ability to return to the U.S. as planned," it added.
Jane Han writes as a freelance correspondent for The Korea Times.