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150,000 Koreans in U.S. subject to Trump's deportation order: Report

Published: 31 Jan. 2025, 17:46

LEE SOO-JUNG
[email protected]

US President Donald Trump speaks in the press briefing room at the White House on January 30, 2025 in Washington, United States. [AFP/YONHAP]

Some 150,000 Koreans living in the United States are reportedly subject to deportations ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump, according to a local news report.

Of around 14 million migrants who were ordered to leave the United States, approximately 150,000 are presumed to be Korean nationals, reported Korea's Yonhap News.

The number includes 20,000 Korean adoptees who have not yet received U.S. citizenship.

On Thursday, Kim Dong-suk, head of the civic group Korean American Grassroots Conference, told the news agency that Trump’s return to the Oval Office is a “disaster” for Koreans in the United States. Kim also noted that Korean communities in the United States “are gripped by fear.”

President Trump has heightened his rhetoric against undocumented migrants. Tom Homan, who is in charge of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, blamed what he called an open border for the entry of illegal drugs.

Kim said collective action among governors, congresspeople and senators is needed to deter the forced deportation of illegal immigrants. He also noted that joint efforts with other migrant groups could help solve the deportation crisis.

Kim told Yonhap News that Trump would “rearrange” Korea-U.S. bilateral ties to focus on what Washington gains in the relationship. He said demands from Washington would increase compared to the former Biden administration.

“President Trump will sign a deal with leaders of Russia, China and North Korea if those deals align with the national interests of the United States,” Kim said.

BY LEE SOO-JUNG [[email protected]]