LOS ANGELES — As the Trump administration intensifies its immigration crackdown, the story of an elderly Korean couple preparing to return to South Korea after decades in the United States has sparked sympathy and consternation among Korean Americans.
The couple has lived in Los Angeles’s Koreatown for the past 26 years, according to an August 10 post published on the crowdfunding site GoFundMe.
The couple’s daughter, N. Kim, who shared the story, wrote: “My parents came to the U.S. in 1999 and worked hard and paid taxes for decades, but they can’t collect Social Security retirement benefits due to being undocumented.”
In the end, the pair decided to give up everything and return to Korea. Kim explained that her parents, now nearing 70, will leave behind the apartment they have lived in since arriving in the U.S. and most of their belongings, taking only clothes and a few personal items back to Korea. To cover airfare and initial settlement costs, Kim launched a GoFundMe campaign that raised more than 95 percent of its $13,000 goal within one week.
The direct reason behind the family’s decision, Kim said, was economic hardship worsened by immigration enforcement.
“Their decision is informed by the dehumanizing state violence targeting immigrant communities here in LA, as well as their inability to make a living after my dad lost his car and primary income source as a gig driver. As low-income working-class immigrants, they’ve always experienced barriers to sustaining their livelihood, but survival no longer feels tenable under these exacerbating circumstances,” she wrote.
The Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement policies have fueled widespread anxiety in the Korean American community. Undocumented immigrants have curtailed outdoor activities out of fear of raids and arrests, while low-income families report losing their livelihoods and falling into financial distress. Even legal residents have voiced concern that they could be swept up in raids and face possible deportation.
Nearly 60,000 individuals are currently being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) across the country, up from 39,000 in January and a reflection of the administration’s stepped-up enforcement efforts. About 70% of those now being held have no criminal record.
This atmosphere has led some undocumented Korean immigrants to choose voluntary departure, as in the case of Kim’s parents. According to the Korean American Federation of Los Angeles (KAFLA), more than five Korean families have gone through voluntary departure procedures in the past three months. Most were long-term undocumented residents who had lived in the U.S. for over 20 years but faced severe economic difficulties.
These families turned to the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) “Self-Deportation” program, which provides one-way airfare and $1,000 in initial settlement funds. The Department of Homeland Security reports that more than one million undocumented immigrants have returned to their home countries through the program to date.
Experts warn that if such conditions persist, the stability of immigrant communities could be seriously undermined. One study out of UC Merced found that the toll of Trump’s campaign of mass deportations could end up costing California some $275 billion in lost wages and economic activity.
Estimates put the number of undocumented Koreans living in the U.S. at around 150,000.
In March, as fears of enforcement intensified, more than 20 Korean American organizations held an emergency immigration policy roundtable to discuss responses. The meeting, co-hosted by KAFLA and the Consulate General of Korea in Los Angeles, brought together the Korean American Bar Association of Southern California (KABA), the Korean American Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles, the Korean American Garment Association, the Korean Restaurant Association, and the Korean American Business Association, as well as youth and religious groups including the Koreatown Youth and Community Center (KYCC), the Southern California Catholic Association, and the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism.
The groups pledged to share accurate information on immigration policy and to hold seminars and public education sessions to safeguard the rights of Korean immigrants.
Robert Ahn, president of KAFLA, explained the purpose of the meeting: “Under the Trump administration’s hardline stance, daily reports of raids and arrests are causing serious anxiety in our community.” He added, “We are doing everything we can so that Korean immigrants do not have to face these hardships alone, and we encourage anyone in need to reach out to us.”
One donor to the fundraiser expressed both concern and solidarity: “The strength of our immigrant community lies in protecting one another. It is heartbreaking to see a family forced into this decision. It’s important we stand together so that no more families have to go through this.”
