Democratic Lawmaker Confronts HHS Secretary Kristi Noem With Deported Purple Heart Veteran After Flat Denial
A House hearing on global security threats took a dramatic turn when Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-RI) directly challenged Health and Human Services Secretary Kristi Noem over the deportation of U.S. military veterans moments after Noem publicly denied that any veterans had been removed from the country. The exchange unfolded during routine questioning, but quickly escalated into one of the most pointed confrontations of Noem’s tenure. When Magaziner asked how many U.S. military veterans had been deported under her watch, Noem responded with certainty.
“Sir, we have not deported U.S. citizens or military veterans.”
That statement would not stand unchallenged for long.
Framing Duty Before Exposing the Contradiction
Magaziner first anchored the exchange in shared civic responsibility, carefully stripping away partisan framing before moving to the substance of his claim.
“I don’t believe you served in the military. I haven’t either,” Magaziner said. “But I think you and I can agree as Americans we owe everything to those who have served our military in uniform, particularly those who have served in combat. Do you agree with that?”
Noem answered in the affirmative. It was at that moment, as she was still speaking, that Magaziner revealed what he clearly intended as a rebuttal grounded not in theory, but in a human case.
A Purple Heart Veteran Appears Live
An aide standing beside Magaziner raised an iPad toward the witness table. On the screen was Sae Joon Park, a 55-year-old U.S. Army combat veteran. Magaziner interrupted Noem and introduced him directly into the record.
“Madam Secretary, we are joined on Zoom by a gentleman named Sae Joon Park, a United States Army combat veteran who was shot twice while serving our country in Panama in 1989.”
Park is a recipient of the Purple Heart, awarded for wounds sustained in combat. According to Magaziner, Park later struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse, issues widely documented among combat veterans, particularly those returning from violent engagements. In the 1990s, Park was arrested for what Magaziner described as minor drug offenses. He later became sober, but the convictions remained on his record.
Deportation to a Country He Barely Knows
Magaziner then laid out the central contradiction to Noem’s earlier claim.
“Earlier this year you deported him to Korea, a country he hasn’t lived in since he was seven years old,” Magaziner said. “Will you join me in thanking Mr. Park for his service for our country?”
The question was direct, but the implication was broader: a wounded combat veteran, who served in uniform and bled for the United States, had been removed from the country he fought for and sent to a place he effectively no longer knew.
Noem Shifts From Denial to Conditions
Noem did not repeat her earlier categorical denial. Instead, she offered a narrower response that emphasized law enforcement over service.
“Sir, I’m grateful for every single person that has served our country and follows our laws —”
Magaziner cut in.
“And can you please tell Mr. Park why you deported him?”
Noem continued.
“— and knows that our laws are important and every one of them needs to be enforced.”
Her response made clear the administration’s position: military service, even combat service, does not override immigration law for non-citizens with criminal convictions.
Discretion Exists and Magaziner Presses It
Magaziner then shifted the focus from enforcement to authority, pointing out that the secretary’s role includes discretion in humanitarian cases.
“But you understand many veterans struggle with PTSD, many veterans struggle with substance abuse challenges,” he said. “This man took two bullets for our country.”
He then cited the powers available to Noem as secretary.
“You have broad authority, by the way, as secretary, to issue humanitarian parole, to do deferred action. Will you commit to at least looking at Mr. Park’s case to see if you can help him find a pathway back to this country he sacrificed so much for?”
Noem began to respond.
“I will absolutely look at his case, but —”
Before she could finish, Magaziner introduced two additional veterans seated in the hearing room whose relatives had also been deported, underscoring that Park’s case was not an isolated incident.
A Longstanding and Unresolved Reality
The exchange highlighted a little-known but persistent feature of U.S. immigration law: non-citizen veterans can be deported, even after honorable service, combat deployments, and battlefield injuries. Advocacy groups have documented hundreds of such cases over decades, often involving veterans who struggled with PTSD, addiction, or lacked legal counsel during earlier proceedings. Noem’s initial statement that no veterans had been deported appeared accurate only if interpreted narrowly to mean “citizen veterans.” Park’s appearance live, wounded, and exiled exposed the gap between that technical framing and the reality faced by many who served.
What Was Left on the Record
The hearing ended without a formal policy commitment, but the moment ensured that Park’s case, and the broader issue of deported veterans, was placed squarely into the public record. What began as a flat denial ended with a Purple Heart veteran staring into a congressional hearing from abroad, a visual contradiction that no amount of legal parsing could fully explain away.
