The Trump administration will no longer pursue deportation of Korean violinist John Shin, 37, following Shin’s release from detainment on 8 September The Utah based violinist’s attorney Adam Crayk confirmed with the Denver Gazette: « That means John is not in deportation proceedings anymore. We won entirely. He’s out. »

Shin was released from detention on 8 September on a $25,000 bond. Crayk then filed a petition to terminate the case, giving the government 30 days to appeal. The period ended on Wednesday 8 October with no further action taken.

Crayk confirmed that ICE can no longer pursue deportation, and expects Shin to have a green card in about 16 months.

Shin spent over two weeks in a detention facility in Aurora, CO, more than 500 miles from his home in Salt Lake City, Utah, following his arrest by ICE agents in a hotel car park in Colorado, where he had travelled to on a work trip in August.

Shin, 37, was born in Korea and moved to the US aged ten on his father’s visa, before securing his right to remain under Deferred Access for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status. Settling in Utah, he obtained a master’s degree in violin performance from the University of Utah and played regularly with the Utah Symphony Orchestra.

He lost his status due to a now-spent conviction for impaired driving in 2019. He married US citizen Danae Snow in 2021 and became stepfather to her two children. At the time of his arrest, he was undergoing the process to obtain a green card to stay in the country, but was unable to secure legal status in time…

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