A 26-year-old Hawaii man with Down syndrome is facing deportation to his native Korea even though his parents are legal United States residents.

Hee Chun Kang’s family came to Hawaii from Korea on a tourist visa in 1993 and never left. In 1998, Kang’s parents applied for permanent residency, but their application was not approved until last year. By then, Kang and his younger brother had become adults themselves, leaving their immigration status in limbo.

Now, U.S. officials are moving to deport the brothers. Kang’s parents say they are deeply concerned about their oldest son who they describe as having the mental capacity of an 11-year-old. They say there is no one in Korea to care for him and that there are far fewer resources there to support a person with special needs.

An attorney for the family is advocating for the brothers to be grandfathered in on their parents’ application, but so far immigration officials have not backed down, reports the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. To read more click here.

Read more stories like this one. Sign up for Disability Scoop's free email newsletter to get the latest developmental disability news sent straight to your inbox.