Utah violinist subject to ICE detention in 2025, could soon be a permanent resident
Mar 27, 2026, 7:14 PM | Updated: 7:15 pm
John Shin wipes away tears as he speaks to the media about his detainment in an immigration detention facility in Colorado at the law office of Stowell Crayk in Murray on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. (Laura Seitz, Deseret News)
(Laura Seitz, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah violinist who spent more than two weeks in ICE detention in the summer of 2025 could become a permanent United States resident in a matter of days.
John Shin, who is originally from South Korea, has submitted an application for legal permanent residency according to his attorney.
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Shin was brought to the state by his parents and grew up in Utah. But, as KSL reported previously, Shin lost his status under the Deferred Access for Childhood Arrivals program after a 2019 conviction in Tooele County for driving while impaired. He married a U.S. citizen in 2021.
Shin was placed in a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in August of 2025 while he was on a business trip in Colorado. He was flagged by federal officials for discrepancies in federal records related to Shin’s migratory status.
He spent 17 days in a detention facility before a judge granted his release.
What happened since being detained
Shin, who has played violin for the Utah Symphony and Ballet West, has been back with his family in Utah since his release. In October, 2025, KSL reported that the federal government had dropped its case against Shin.
Now, according to his attorney Adam Crayk, Shin has completed his green card interview.
“It wasn’t confrontational, it was really calming, and when we walked out of there you could just see this enormous weight come off of John,” Crayk told KSL.
Crayk said he expects Shin to have his green card sometime in the next few days. It will give Shin all the rights of a U.S. citizen except the right to vote, to be on a jury or have a U.S. passport.
“Because John is married to a citizen, John is eligible to apply for citizenship in two years and nine months from the date the resident card is granted,” Crayk said. “To watch them walk out of that interview, smiles on their faces and just beaming, it is amazing,” Crayk said.
Simone Seikaly | Contributing
