North Shore farmer with no criminal record detained by ICE

Hanjun Shen has been in Hawaii for 16 years and owns an 18-acre farm in Laie. Last Thursday, agents took him to the Federal Detention Center in Honolulu.

[krelacion]

What do you expect? HNN is the worst! He is here illegally!

[mativakuresa]

How in the hell an illegal immigrant own lands in Hawaii this blows my mind.

[MidnightMike]

Staying in the United States illegally is illegal. Ignoring a removal order from the Federal Government is illegal so while the farmer may have not violated Hawaii state law he most certainly broke Federal law.

[jnak]

16 years and you didnt do your paperwork? I know you ain’t poor if you own that much land in North Shore, so what’s taking him so long?!?!

[nightstalker]

They really cherry picking those stories thinking it will create sympathy but in reality no.

[RossellaPerry]

First ICE is collecting non citizens involved with criminal activity. Never was it said no criminal record you will not be picked up . Wish he seeked citizenship all the years he has been here . He knows he is not a citizen and the consequences. I hope he can stay for political hardships . May he be showered with blessings.

[glenng]

He had 16 years to get legalized nobody's fault but his and I'm sure he can afford it. I paid alot of money and got my wife legalized anybody can do it if I can.

[remsleepdreamstateofmind]

So this whole time he was getting paid under the table?

[Stay-vigilant]

He looks like a hard worker. Too bad he didn’t work as hard at getting his citizenship in the last 16 years.

[kay]

I am amazed at how many attorneys dont know that an "order for removal" is the law and this guy played dumb for 16 years snubbing his nose at our laws and now everybody is like "aww poor ting". I dont think so, otherwise lets do a way with all our I think they should check the immigration status of that guys attorney too since he doesnt think our laws mean anything!!

[-sp]

No farm lands in America for non Americans

[AKHI]

Well he was denied to stay and then didn’t leave and had an order the be removed what is the issue, he is here illegally, doesn’t matter how long you’ve been here, that’s a terrible argument he was told to leave and didn’t period

[charlesbronson]

16 years yet he made no attempt to get his documentation or citizenship? He had a removal order but REFUSED to leave!?! And now's he's crying about it?! As someone who entered this country LEGALLY, I have NO sympathy for those who chose to break the law, by cutting the line, to come here.

[davec]

This isn't a fault of enforcement. What has caused him to not meet requirements? It is either himself, or the system that's denied him. One of those, but not enforcement. Laws are supposed to be enforced.

[AaronAzevedo-srbp]

Yea ask Kamehameha schools that own land they have a lot farmers not from Hawaii or not Hawaiian Koreans, Chinese, that are are farming land leasing or buying out I know because I worked on fixing roads that were washed out from the rains and water ways that were disturbed by non locals by Kamehameha schools have a lot of property’s that they took over for there greed and now it’s time to be exposed I am Hawaiian and and I will be herd.

[laeviga-sunstrider]

His application for asylum was denied. I wonder how long that process itself took and if Mr. Chen was every informed of that. It's possible that he never even had the opportunity to become a citizen if he was waiting for another process to finish. Still, tearing a person away from their community is an egregious and awful thing to do.

[sundasilat]

By not leaving as instructed wen denied is already a violation., deport

[vernonengbino]

Workers in the hotels and tourist industry should be very worried. The racial ignorance by this president knows no bounds. Have your papers ready.

[cuzu]

Don’t know the guy don’t know his situation but this guy needs help he is a farmer who works puts food on our table is a tax payer he needs an immigration lawyer not ridicule

[gowin]

Reporters like these making local citizens fools. Oxymoronic to put in the news “no crime at all” when by law in the first place had entered the country illegally … that right there is crime