Responding to disquiet at the seizure of a professional violinist, the Department of Homeland Security has posted this message on its X account:
This “Utah violinist” is Donggin Shin, a CRIMINAL illegal alien from South Korea. His criminal history includes a DUI conviction. Shin entered the U.S. on a tourist visa on September 3, 1998. This visa required him to depart the U.S. by March 3, 1999. Over 25 years later, he was STILL illegally in the U.S. Our message is clear: criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the United States.
One of Shin’s supporters responds:
John Shin’s story highlights the flaws in rigid immigration enforcement that overlook individual circumstances. Born in South Korea, he entered the U.S. legally on September 3, 1998, at the age of 10 via a tourist visa, which was set to expire on March 3, 1999. His father’s shift to a student visa extended his legal stay as a dependent, and DACA followed until the 2020 misdemeanor DUI, resolved but tied to grief over his dad’s brain cancer death. Detained August 18, 2025, in Colorado during a work trip, on his wife DaNae’s birthday, he’s now in a Denver facility awaiting a September hearing. As a former concertmaster with the University of Utah orchestras and a professional with Ballet West, Shin’s contributions are undeniable, yet DHS reduces him to a label for a past offense. This approach doesn’t enhance safety; it alienates allies and wastes resources on low-priority cases. Appealing to conservative principles of family and merit, why deport someone who’s paid taxes, raised stepchildren, and enriched culture? It’s time for nuanced policy, not blanket aggression.
Combating misinformation means unpacking DHS’s selective facts. They emphasize the overstay and DUI but omit Shin’s legal entries, DACA history, and the $2,375 green card barrier his family couldn’t surmount amid job loss. Musicians’ daily Capitol performances underscore community support, challenging the ‘criminal’ trope. For an audience fed propaganda, recognize this as government overreach that undermines trust in institutions. True persuasion builds bridges: let’s advocate for paths to citizenship for long-term contributors, fostering unity over division. If this is ‘safeguarding values,’ it’s a hollow victory that weakens our nation.
https://x.com/micyoung75/status/1961841075384889697
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