Korean American researcher held at airport for weeks over decade-old weed conviction

A 40-year-old scientist and legal permanent resident has been detained by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection at San Francisco International Airport since July 21. Tae Heung “Will” Kim, who has lived in the U.S. since age 5, was returning from his brother’s wedding in South Korea when agents cited a 2011 misdemeanor marijuana conviction as grounds for his detention.

Kim is a Ph.D. student at Texas A&M University developing a vaccine for Lyme disease. According to his legal team, he has previously traveled internationally for academic work without incident. Relatives describe Kim as a devoted son and brother who has spent 35 years in the U.S. and built a career focused on public health research.

Sharon Lee, Kim’s mother, described her anguish: “When my other child called and told me they arrested Will, my heart felt like the sky and earth fell. It feels like the world has ended. I’ve been so worried. We haven’t been able to talk with him. I can’t sleep or eat. As a mother, I want my son to be safe and free.”

Attorney Karl Krooth, an immigration lawyer in San Francisco, said Kim’s detention has far exceeded CBP’s internal 72-hour holding limit for airports. “I’ve never seen anyone held that long. A prolonged detention indicates to me that there is a degree of coercion or inducement afoot.”

Krooth reported that Kim was “moved within secondary inspection at least twice per day,” kept in windowless rooms with lights on 24 hours a day, denied exercise or fresh air, forced to sleep in a chair, and given only concession food and water. Kim, who has asthma, reportedly struggled to access medication. Since his detention began, he has had almost no communication with family or counsel, and his legal team believes he may now be held at a facility in Arizona.

Kim’s detention comes amid a rise in cases where legal permanent residents are held over minor or decades-old offenses under stricter immigration enforcement. Civil rights groups and immigration attorneys report that green card holders are increasingly stopped or removed at airports for low-level convictions, including individuals who have spent most of their lives in the U.S.

Becky Belcore, co-director of the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium, called Kim’s treatment alarming for “every person who values their freedom and rights.” Belcore criticized both major political parties for failing to represent all residents and called for swift action to protect the rights and freedoms the U.S. claims to uphold. “Immigrants have been used as a scapegoat for the Trump administration to test the will of the People, and to build the infrastructure to enact an authoritarian regime,” she added.