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71-year-old Korean woman restrained, hospitalized after ICE detains her at green card interview

Sep 10, 2026·Location: Gardena, CA

Country of origin: South Korea

71-year-old Korean woman restrained, hospitalized after ICE detains her at green card interview
Photo via en.koreadaily.com

Chang Yeon Cho, 71, a Gardena, California resident known as 'Auntie Jo' who ran a clothing alteration business with her husband Jongs Soo Kim, was detained by ICE in June during her permanent residency interview despite having no criminal convictions. Her detention reportedly stemmed from an old, uncharged arrest linked to a dispute with a customer over unpaid alteration fees. Cho, who speaks Korean and Portuguese but not English after years living in Brazil, was physically restrained on her first night in custody following a communication breakdown, then collapsed and was hospitalized for eight days; the Korean consulate attributed this to low blood pressure and vomiting caused by stress and unfamiliar food. She is held at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center, where her bond request was denied on August 25 and she received a final order of removal. The Korean Consulate General in Los Angeles has visited her multiple times, and a GoFundMe campaign has raised over $20,000 toward a $24,000 goal for her legal expenses.

Timeline

Sep 10, 2026—Additional coverage of Cho's detention and hospitalization published
Sep 8, 2026—Story shared publicly by family friend Ed Choi
Aug 25, 2026—Bond request denied and final order of removal issued
Jun 1, 2026—Detained by ICE during green card interview; later restrained and hospitalized for eight days
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