Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem found herself in the hot seat on Capitol Hill on Thursday, defending herself from Democrats who sharply questioned the Trump administration's hardline immigration actions.In one notable exchange, Rep.Seth Magaziner, D-R.I., asked Noem if DHS had deported any military veterans -- and she said the department has not. Magaziner then referred to a tablet with a man named Sae Joon Park on the screen, joining the hearing by Zoom.Rep.
Seth Magaziner speaks during a House Homeland Security hearing entitled "Worldwide Threats to the Homeland," while Sae Joon Park, a Purple Heart decorated U.S.Army veteran who self-deported to South Korea due to a removal order, joins the hearing via a video call, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Dec.
11, 2025.Elizabeth Frantz/ReutersJudge weighs potential contempt prosecution referral for Kristi Noem in El Salvador deportationsMagaziner said Park is a Purple Heart recipient who was shot twice while serving with the U.S.Army in Panama in 1989, who was deported to Korea by the Trump administration."Like many veterans, he struggled with PTSD and substance abuse after his service," Magaziner said.
"He was arrested in the 1990s for some minor drug offenses, nothing serious.He never hurt anyone besides himself, and he's been clean and sober for 14 years."When asked if she would thank Park for his service, Noem responded to the congressman, "Sir, I'm grateful for every single person that has served our country and follows our laws."Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem testifies before the House Committee on Homeland Security in the Cannon House Office Building on Dec.
11, 2025, in Washington, D.C.Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesTrump's $1 million 'Gold Card' immigration application plan launchesA Department of Homeland Security spokesperson later said Magaziner failed to mention that Park had a criminal history, although the congressman did address that in his remarks. Popular Rea...