>>> HELLO, EVERYONE, AND WELCOME TO "AMANPOUR AND COMPANY."

HERE'S WHAT'S COMING UP.

MORE THAN 100 AID ORGANIZATIONS WARN, QUOTE, FAMINE IS KNOCKING ON THE DOOR IN GAZA.

CORRESPONDENT JEREMY DIAMOND REPORTS ON THE DIRE SITUATION THERE.

THEN, AS THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE GIVES ITS FIRST EVER RULING ON CLIMATE CHANGE, WE HEAR FROM A VANUATU OFFICIAL WHOSE PACIFIC ISLAND NATION FACES THE THREAT FROM RISING OCEANS.

AND, HOW U.S. FUNDING CUTS SET BACK THE FIGHT AGAINST HIV/AIDS.

I SPEAK TO SOUTH AFRICAN ACTIVIST ZACKIE ACHMAT.

ALSO AHEAD -- >> IT'S OVERWHELMING.

I COULDN'T STOP CRYING FOR HOURS EVERY MORNING, JUST, EVERYTHING SINKING IN.

>> A DECORATED U.S. ARMY VETERAN FORCED TO SELF-DEPORT TO KOREA.

MICHEL MARTIN SPEAKS WITH SAE JOON PARK AND IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY DANICOLE RAMOS.

♪ >>> "AMANPOUR AND COMPANY" IS MADE POSSIBLE BY --THE ANDERSON FAMILY ENDOWMENT.

JIM ATTWOOD AND LESLIE WILLIAMS.

CANDACE KING WEIR.

THE SYLVIA A.

AND SIMON B. POYTA PROGRAMMING ENDOWMENT TO FIGHT ANTI-SEMITISM.

THE FAMILY FOUNDATION OF LEILA AND MICKEY STRAUS.

MARK J. BLECHNER.

THE FILOMEN M. D'AGOSTINO FOUNDATION.

SETON J. MELVIN.

THE PETER G. PETERSON AND JOAN GANZ COONEY FUND.

CHARLES ROSENBLUM.

KOO AND PATRICIA YUEN, COMMITTED TO BRIDGING CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

BARBARA HOPE ZUCKERBERG.

JEFFREY KATZ AND BETH ROGERS.

AND BY CONTRIBUTIONS TO YOUR PBS STATION FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

THANK YOU.

>>> WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM, EVERYONE, I'M CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR IN LONDON.

U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY STEVE WITKOFF TRAVELS TO EUROPE AND THE MIDDLE EAST THIS WEEK, REPORTEDLY TO TRY AGAIN FOR A GAZA CEASE-FIRE, AND FOR A PROPER HUMANITARIAN PIPELINE INTO THE ENCLAVE.

MORE THAN TWO WEEKS SINCE THE ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU MET WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP IN WASHINGTON, MORE THAN 100 AID ORGANIZATIONS ARE NOW WARNING OF MASS STARVATION SPREADING ACROSS GAZA.

SCOTT PAUL TELLS CNN, QUOTE, FAMINE IS BANGING ON THE DOOR RIGHT NOW.

A COALITION OF THESE AID ORGANIZATIONS WARNS THAT THEY ARE, QUOTE, WITNESSING THEIR OWN COLLEAGUES AND PARTNERS WASTE AWAY BEFORE THEIR EYES, AND SOME JOURNALIST ORGANIZATIONS SAY THE SAME ABOUT THEIR REPORTERS ON THE GROUND, AND THAT WITHOUT IMMEDIATE INTERVENTION, THEY WILL DIE OF STARVATION AND DEHYDRATION.

MEANWHILE, PALESTINIANS ARE ALSO DYING AS THEY VIE FOR WHATEVER AID DOES MAKE IT INTO GAZA.

MORE THAN 1,000 HAVE BEEN KILLED IN RECENT MONTHS WHILE SEEKING FOOD, ACCORDING TO THE PALESTINIAN MINISTRY OF HEALTH.

THE UK, CANADA, AND 26 OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE ISSUED A JOINT STATEMENT THIS WEEK, SAYING THE WAR IN GAZA, QUOTE, MUST END NOW.

AT THE SAME TIME, BRITAIN HAS ANNOUNCED MORE PLANS TO CUT FOREIGN AID.

NOW, CORRESPONDENT JEREMY DIAMOND JOINS ME NOW WITH MORE ON THE DESPERATE SITUATION IN GAZA.

JEREMY, WHAT ARE YOU SEEING, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW?

IT SEEMS TO BE BUILDING TO A PEAK THAT'S UNAVOIDABLE.

>> ABSOLUTELY, CHRISTIANE.

I MEAN, FROM SPEAKING WITH PEOPLE IN GAZA AND HUMANITARIAN AID ORGANIZATIONS THAT OPERATE ON THE GROUND, I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE SITUATION RIGHT NOW IS JUST AS BAD --ABOUT AS BAD AS IT EVER HAS BEEN.

AND IN JUST THE LAST 24 HOURS, WE'VE SEEN TEN PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIED OF MALNUTRITION, ACCORDING TO THE PALESTINIAN HEALTH MINISTRY.

THE DAY BEFORE, IT WAS 15 PEOPLE IN THE PREVIOUS 24-HOUR PERIOD.

THAT'S 25 PEOPLE DYING OF STARVATION IN JUST A TWO-DAY PERIOD.

WE HAVE NEVER SEEN NUMBERS LIKE THAT BUNCHED SO CLOSE TOGETHER AS WE ARE RIGHT NOW.

AND I WANT TO SHOW YOU THE IMAGES OF ONE OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAS DIED OF STARVATION IN GAZA, HIS NAME IS MOHAMMED AHMED AL HASONAT.

HE WAS 41 YEARS OLD.

AND YOU CAN SEE THE EMACIATED BODY THAT JUST GAVE UP ON HIM AT THE END, FOLLOWING MONTHS OF DEALING WITH SEVERE MALNUTRITION.

HIS BROTHER SAID THAT HE STARTED DEALING WITH THESE SYMPTOMS OF MALNUTRITION FOLLOWING ISRAEL'S BLACK ING BLOCKADE THAT BEGAN IN MARCH.

HE NEEDED NUTRITION, THAT WASN'T AVAILABLE TO HIM, AND HE LOST HIS BATTLE AGAINST ALL OF THAT JUST YESTERDAY.

WE HAVE ALSO SEEN, OF COURSE, THAT BEYOND THE STARVATION THAT IS HAPPENING IN GAZA, WITH NOW THE DIRECTOR OF XFAM SAYING THAT FAMINE IS KNOCKING AT THE DOOR.

IN ADDITION, THOSE THAT ARE TRYING TO SURVIVE, TO GETTING TO THE AID SITES, OR TO U.N. CONVOYS THAT ARE COMING IN VERY SCARCELY INTO THE GAZA STRIP, PEOPLE ARE BEING SHOT AND KILLED BY ISRAELI GUNFIRE.

WE HEARD FROM THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAM DIRECTOR CINDY McCAIN JUST THE OTHER DAY, TALKING ABOUT ISRAELI TANKS AND SNIPERS OPENING FIRE ON GAZANS WHO ARE TRYING TO SURVIVE.

NOW, THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT, FOR ITS PART, HAS SAID THAT IT DOES NOT RESTRICT THE AMOUNT OF AID THAT IS GETTING INTO THE GAZA STRIP, AND THEY POINT TO SOME 950 TRUCKS OF HUMANITARIAN AID THAT ARE STOCKPILED INSIDE OF GAZA, WAITING FOR THE U.N. TO COME PICK THEM UP.

THE U.N.

DOESN'T DENY THAT THAT'S THE CASE, BUT THEY SAY THAT IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THEIR LACK OF WILL POWER OR DESIRE TO GET THOSE TRUCKS, IT'S BECAUSE, THEY SAY, ISRAEL IS NOT PROVIDING ENOUGH SAFE ROUTES FOR THOSE TRUCKS TO BE PICKED UP AND DISTRIBUTED.

THEY SAY THAT THEY ARE NOT USING THESE DECONFLICTION CHANNELS IN A PROPER MANNER, AND PRIORITIZING INSTEAD THEIR MILITARY OPERATIONS OVER AVERTING WHAT IS ALREADY A VERY, VERY SEVERE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS AFFECTING SOME 2 MILLION PEOPLE IN GAZA.

>> YEAH, IT IS ALMOST UNBEARABLE TO KEEP WATCHING THIS, AND TO HEAR NOW HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATIONS, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, SOME GOVERNMENT LEADERS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SAYING IT IS TIME ABSOLUTELY FOR THE UNITED STATES TO GET INVOLVED, TO STOP AIDING AND ABETTING ISRAEL, TO FORCE ISRAEL TO DO ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE RULES IN WAR, AS YOU KNOW AND DENYING PEOPLE FOOD IS --IS --AGAINST INTERNATIONAL LAW.

SO, WHEN YOU TALK TO ISRAELI OFFICIALS, WHAT DO THEY SAY ABOUT THIS?

BECAUSE IT'S NOT OKAY, JUST TO KEEP BATTING TERMS BACK AND FORWARD, WHEN PEOPLE ARE DYING OF STARVATION AND BEING KILLED, AS YOU REPORT.

>> YEAH, EXACTLY.

I MEAN, FIRST OF ALL, THEY CONSISTENTLY BLAME HAMAS FOR ALL OF THIS, EVEN THOUGH THE REALITY IS THAT IT'S NOT JUST HUMANITARIAN AID ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE BLAMING ISRAEL, I MEAN, THAT LETTER THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT FROM SOME 25 WESTERN NATIONS, WHICH INCLUDE STAUNCH, LONGTIME ALLIES OF ISRAEL, WHETHER IT IS FRANCE, THE UNITED KINGDOM, CANADA, AUSTRALIA, ALL OF THEM ARE BLAMING THIS CURRENT HUMANITARIAN CRISIS ON ISRAELI GOVERNMENT DECISIONS, ON ISRAELI POLICIES.

AS FAR AS ISRAELI OFFICIALS, THEY POINT TO RECENT MEASURES THEY HAVE TAKEN TO TRY TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION.

THEY'VE OPENED THE CROSSING IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE GAZA STRIP, AND ALLOWED AID IN THE EGYPTIAN AND JORDANIAN ROUTES.

BUT JUST THE FACT THEY'RE POINTING TO THAT NOTES THE FACT THEY'VE PREVENTED THAT FROM WEEKS AND WEEKS IN THE PAST, UNTIL WE'VE REACHED THIS ABSOLUTE CRISIS LEVEL INSIDE THE GAZA STRIP.

>> AND, JUST TO --JUST TO REMIND, THAT PICTURE YOU SHOWED US IS TRULY HORRENDOUS, AND JUST TO REMIND THAT THE PALESTINIAN MINISTRY, AS WE'VE SAID, SAY THAT IN THE LAST EIGHT WEEKS ALONE, 1,000 PALESTINIANS, WHO HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET FOOD, HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN SHOT OR AFFLICTED BY TANK FIRE AND THE REST, SO --THESE ARE BEING REPORTED, THANK YOU, I KNOW YOU'RE WORKING ON A MORE IN DEPTH REPORT ON THIS, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING IT, BECAUSE IT'S VITALLY IMPORTANT.

JEREMY, THANK YOU.

>>> TODAY MARKS A CRITICAL TURNING POINT FOR ANOTHER MAJOR ISSUE, AND THAT IS GLOBAL CLIMATE LAW.

IN A LANDMARK RULING, ITS FIRST EVER OPINION ON THE TOPIC, THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE HAS ASSERTED THAT CLIMATE CHANGE MAY, QUOTE, SIGNIFICANTLY IMPAIR HUMAN RIGHTS, AND IT URGES COUNTRIES TO HALT EMISSIONS FASTER.

HERE'S THE COURT PRESIDENT.

>> THE COURT NOTES THAT THE CONSEQUENCES OF CLIMATE CHANGE ARE SEVERE AND FAR REACHING.

THEY AFFECT BOTH NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS AND HUMAN POPULATIONS.

THESE CONSEQUENCES UNDERSCORE THE URGENT AND EXISTENTIAL THREAT CAUSED BY CLIMATE CHANGE.

THE COURT CONSIDERS THAT THE DUE DILIGENCE ATTACHING TO THE OBLIGATION TO PURSUE DOMESTIC MITIGATION MEASURES IS STRINGENT, ON ACCOUNT OF THE FACT THAT THE BEST AVAILABLE SCIENCE INDICATES THAT THE RISKS AND PROJECTED ADVERSE IMPACTS AND RELATED LOSS AND DAMAGE FROM CLIMATE CHANGE ESCALATE WITH EVERY INCREMENT OF GLOBAL WARMING.

>> NOW, THE OPINION IS NONBINDING, BUT IT WILL LIKELY BE CITED IN LITIGATION AROUND THE WORLD.

IT COULD PAVE THE WAY FOR COUNTRIES IMPACTED BY CLIMATE CHANGE TO SEEK REPARATIONS.

THE ISLAND NATION OF VANUATU IS THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THIS ICJ HEARING.

CLIMATE CHANGE MINISTER RALPH REGULAR VAN KNEW REGENVANU JOINS ME NOW FROM THE HAGUE.

WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM.

CAN I ASK YOU HOW MUCH SATISFACTION YOU TAKE FROM THIS, GIVEN THAT IT IS NONBINDING?

>> WELL, WE WERE VERY PLEASED WITH THE HANDING DOWN OF THE DECISION TODAY, THE ADVISORY OPINION.

IT REALLY MAKES IT CLEAR THAT ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE BY STATES, WHETHER ACCORDING TO THE TREATIES, THE CLIMATE CHANGE TREATIES, THE PARIS AGREEMENT, OR INTERNATIONAL LAW, IS A LEGAL OBLIGATION, AND SO THAT REMOVES A LOT OF THE EXCUSES THAT WE'RE HEARING FROM HIGH EMITTING STATES, PARTICULARLY IN THE COPs, ABOUT WHETHER THEY NEED TO TAKE ACTION, OR WHETHER IT'S A VOLUNTARY COMMITMENT.

THE COURT MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT IT IS, IN FACT, UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW, AS WELL AS UNDER ALL THE HUMAN RIGHTS CONVENTIONS, AND THE U. N. CHARTER ITSELF.

THIS IS A BINDING LEGAL OBLIGATION ON STATES, AND IT GIVES AVENUE FOR COUNTRIES LIKE VANUATU AND OTHER VULNERABLE COUNTRIES TO HAVE MORE LEVERAGE IN THEIR DISCUSSIONS, AND TO EVEN TAKE MORE DRASTIC ACTION TO SEE CLIMATE ACTION BEING TAKEN BY THE HIGH EMITTING STATES.

>> SO, LET ME JUST ASK YOU, BECAUSE WE DESCRIBE A PACIFIC ISLAND NATION, OBVIOUSLY, YOU'RE LOW-LYING.

WHAT IS THE IMMEDIATE THREAT TO VANUATU AND OTHER ISLAND NATIONS LIKE YOURS, SO WE UNDERSTAND?

>> SO, IN THE PACIFIC, THERE ARE LOW-LYING NATIONS LIKE US, WHICH ARE ATOLL NATIONS, WHERE THE MAXIMUM HEIGHT ABOVE SEA LEVEL IS ABOUT 2 METERS.

SO, THESE COUNTRIES ARE FACING THE THREAT.

THEY WILL DISAPPEAR.

SO, THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE AND ADVISORY OPINION MADE A VERY IMPORTANT POINT.

IT SAID AT ANY POINT IN THE FUTURE THE BASELINES FROM WHICH THE BOUNDARIES OF STATES ARE DRAWN DISAPPEAR, IT DOESN'T MATTER, BECAUSE THESE STATES ARE ALREADY ESTABLISHED UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW.

SO, THAT WAS A HUGE WIN IN THIS ICJ ADVISORY OPINION.

IT GIVES GREAT WEIGHT TO COUNTRIES THAT ARE SEEKING TO PRESERVE THEIR STATEHOOD.

IN COUNTRIES LIKE VANUATU WHICH ARE MORE HIGH, WE ARE A HIGH --WE HAVE VOLCANIC MOUNTAINS AND SO ON, WE STILL FACE SEA LEVEL RISE, WE FACE INCREASING INTENSITY AND FREQUENCY OF TROPICAL CYCLONES.

NOW WE HAVE REACHED BEYOND CATEGORY 5, WE HAVE GONE TO CATEGORIES THAT DON'T EXIST IN SCIENCE.

WE ALSO HAVE EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS THAT ARE CAUSING LARGE AREAS OF OUR COUNTRY TO BE UNINHABITABLE.

SO, FOR US, WE'RE ACTUALLY EXPERIENCING LOSS AND DAMAGE.

IT'S BEYOND ADAPTATION.

WE'VE DONE ALL WE CAN TO ADAPT, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO SO.

SO, THIS ADVISORY OPINION WILL HELP US SEEK THE INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION WE NEED TO GET THE RESOURCES WE NEED TO FIND WAYS TO PROVIDE A BETTER FUTURE FOR OUR PEOPLE.

>> CAN I ASK YOU TO BE VERY, VERY REALISTIC?

YOU CAN SEE, CERTAINLY WITH THE NEW U.S. ADMINISTRATION, EVEN THE EU, ALL THESE NATIONS AND BLOCKS THAT ARE TALKED A LOT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, GROWING BACK GREEN AND REALLY TAKING CARE OF THE CLIMATE AND DOING WHAT THEY CAN, SEEM TO BE ON THE RETREAT RIGHT NOW.

THERE ARE OTHER FINANCIAL ISSUES, THE U.S., FOR ITSELF, HAS PULLED OUT OF ALL SORTS OF CLIMATE AND MULTILATERAL ACCORDS AND ROLLED BACK THE CLOCK ON INSTITUTIONS AROUND THE CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENT IN ITS OWN COUNTRY.

SO, WHERE DO YOU SEE THE HOPE COMING FROM, EVEN BY USING THIS LAW?

BECAUSE IT'S --IT SEEMS TO BE A MAJOR CRISIS POINT RIGHT NOW.

>> WELL, THE REALITY IS THAT CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECTS EVERYBODY.

AND INCREASINGLY, WE WILL SEE THIS HAPPEN ALL ACROSS THE WORLD AND A GOOD EXAMPLE IS IN THE LAST DECADE, IT'S THE FIRST TIME EVER, THE LAST TEN YEARS, HAVE BEEN THE HOTTEST YEARS, EACH ONE, ON RECORD, EVER.

AND THE LAST ONE HAS BEEN THE HOTTEST EVER AND WE'RE SEEING EVERYTHING HAPPENING IN --ALL OVER THE WORLD.

WE'RE SEEING WHAT HAPPENED HERE IN THE HAGUE IS A RESULT OF A GLOBAL YOUTH MOVEMENT FOR CLIMATE JUSTICE, AND THIS PARTICULAR DECISION TODAY GIVES A LOT OF HOPE TO THE YOUTH, BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONES WHO PUSHED FOR THIS ADVISORY OPINION, AND THE FACT THAT IT'S BEEN SO STRONG IN THEIR FAVOR WILL GALVANIZE THEM, AS WELL AS WIDER SOCIETY TO PUT MUCH MORE PRESSURE ON GOVERNMENTS TO TAKE REAL ACTION IN THE FACE OF THE REALITY OF INCREASING DEVASTATION CAUSED BY CLIMATE CHANGE FOR EVERY COUNTRY, SO, THE REALITY WILL FORCE COUNTRIES TO COME TO ACCEPT WHAT THIS ADVISORY OPINION HAS JUST SAID.

>> CAN I JUST DIG DEEPER INTO THE YOUTH MOVEMENT THAT YOU DESCRIBE?

BECAUSE, ESSENTIALLY, THIS CASE IS APPARENTLY BEEN ABOUT SIX YEARS IN THE MAKING, IT WAS FIRST BROUGHT TO YOU BY, AS YOU SAY, A GROUP OF 27 STUDENTS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC, THIS WAS BACK IN 2019.

HOW DOES THAT WORK?

WHAT DID THEY SAY?

HOW DID THEY PETITION, WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO MAKE, YOU KNOW, TO REACH THIS --THIS JUDGMENT TODAY?

>> SO, THEY CAME WITH THIS IDEA THAT THE SINGLE --THEY WERE LAW STUDENTS.

THE SINGLE BEST LEGAL REMEDY TO THE CLIMATE CRISIS WAS TO GET AN ADVISORY AGREEMENT FROM THIS ICJ IT WAS A PIE IN THE SKY IDEA.

WE AGREED TO TAKE IT UP AND PUSH IT UP TO THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL.

AND THEN, THIS WHOLE GLOBAL MOVEMENT, GLOBAL CLIMATE JUSTICE YOUTH NETWORK DEVELOPED, ADVOCATING IN ALL THEIR DIFFERENT COUNTRIES WITH THEIR --WITH THEIR GOVERNMENTS TO SUPPORT IT.

AND WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE UNITED NATIONS WAS THAT UNANIMOUSLY, THE ENTIRE DOCTOR --EVERY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD AGREED TO REFER THIS QUESTION TO THE ICJ.

AND THAT WAS HISTORIC.

THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT THE --GENERAL ASSEMBLY HAS REFERRED A QUESTION TO THE ICJ.

IT'S NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE IN THE HISTORY.

TODAY, WE ALSO SAW THE ADVISORY OPINION BEING HANDED DOWN, ALSO UNANIMOUSLY, AND THAT'S VERY RARE FOR THE ICJ, ALSO.

SHOWS THIS MOMENTUM AND THIS COMMON IDEA THAT WE NEED TO FIND SOME WAY TO GET US BEYOND THIS POINT, WHERE WE ARE.

NOT ADDRESSING THE CLIMATE CRISIS AS WE SHOULD.

>> SO, WHEN THIS FIRST CAME, WHEN YOU BROUGHT IT TO THE ICJ, YOU MADE AN ADDRESS AT THE OPENING, THIS WAS DECEMBER LAST YEAR, THIS PAST DECEMBER.

AND YOU EMPHASIZED THAT VANUATU IS, QUOTE, AS YOU SAID, ON THE FRONT LINES OF A CRISIS THAT WE DID NOT CREATE.

BUT YOU ALSO SAID ABOUT THE MOST RECENT COP, COP-29, YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, YOU WITNESSED FIRST HAND THE FAILURE OF THIS ENTIRE PROCESS, QUOTE, IT'S UNCONSCIONABLE, YOU SAID, THE COP ILED TO REACH ANY AGREEMENT.

THE PROLONGED AND SYSTEMIC FAILURE OF THE COP PROCESS HAS COST THEM THEIR WELL BEING, CULTURES, EVEN LIVES.

IS IT --I MEAN, YOU'VE MENTIONED THE COP SHORTCOMINGS, IS THAT WHAT PUSHED YOU TO GO TO THE COURT?

AND ARE WE GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER COP THIS YEAR, AND ANOTHER ONE, PROBABLY, WHAT'S THE POINT OF DOING THIS, IF THEY KEEP FAILING?

>> WELL, WHAT'S HAPPENED TODAY IS THAT WE'VE ELIMINATED A LOT OF THE ARGUMENTS THAT ARE BEING PUT AGAINST US AT THE COP s. A LOT OF THE ARGUMENTS THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, THE CONTRIBUTIONS ARE PURELY VOLUNTARY.

COUNTRIES CAN DECIDE WHAT THEY DO OR DON'T DO.

TODAY, WE'VE JUST ELIMINATED ALL THOSE EXCUSES.

SO, THIS IS COMPLIMENTARY TO THE COP PROCESS AND IT WOULD HELP US IN THE NEXT NEGOTIATIONS.

WE'RE NOW PREPARING A RESOLUTION FOR THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO IMPLEMENT THIS DECISION, SO THAT WHEN WE GET TO COP-30 IN BRAZIL, WE CAN SIT DOWN AND SAY, OKAY, YOU CAN'T TALK ABOUT THIS ANYMORE, YOU CAN'T SAY IT'S VOLUNTARY.

THE ICJ, THE WORLD'S HIGHEST COURT HAS SAID IT'S A LEGAL OBLIGATION, AND IF YOU DON'T DO IT, YOU ARE ACTING UNLAWFULLY, ACCORDING TO INTERNATIONAL LAW.

SO, IT GIVES US GREATER LEVERAGE TO PUSH THE AMBITION WE HAVE TO SEE GREATER CLIMATE ACTION AND GREATER AMBITION AND GREATER ACTION ON MANY OF THE PLEDGES THAT ARE BEING MADE.

>> NOW, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S HAPPENING IN SOME OF YOUR REGION, AS WELL, THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF CLIMATE REFUGEES, CLIMATE MIGRANTS, AND WE HAVE BEEN TREATED TO SOME QUITE DRAMATIC SPEECHES BY, FOR INSTANCE, IN COP-26, THE FOREIGN MINISTER OF TUVALU, SPOKE WITH THE SEA UP TO HIS KNEES AND THERE WAS A PODIUM THERE, IT WAS A DRAMATIC PORTRAYAL OF WHAT'S HAPPENING.

AND THE PRIME MINISTER OF THE MALDIVES HELD AND UNDERWATER CABINET SESSION TO TALK ABOUT THE THREAT TO THEIR ISLAND NATION, AS WELL.

SO, TUVALU HAS BEEN GIVEN MIGRATION VISAS, A CERTAIN NUMBER PER YEAR, FROM AUSTRALIA.

IS THIS SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN SEE HAPPENING MORE TO THE ISLAND NATIONS, I MEAN, IS VANUATU GOING TO POTENTIALLY GO THAT WAY, AS WELL?

TRY TO LEAVE THESE PLACES IN DESPERATION?

>> I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF LOW-LYING AREAS OF THE WORLD, LIKE TUVALU, LIKE MALDIVES, LARGE AREAS OF BANGLADESH, CONTINENTAL U.S. OF COURSE, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO MOVE.

SO, THE ADVISORY OPINION TODAY SAYS THERE IS AN OBLIGATION BY STATES TO COOPERATE INTERNATIONALLY TO ADDRESS THESE PROBLEMS, AND IN CASES LIKE TUVALU, THERE'S A NEW AGREEMENT WITH AUSTRALIA, WHERE THEY CAN MOVE TO SETTLE IN AUSTRALIA.

BUT THIS CAN BE SEEN AS PART OF THESE REPARATIONS TO ADDRESS THE HARM THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, AUSTRALIA'S CAUSED IN TERMS OF CONTRIBUTING TO GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.

THIS IS ONE OF THE MEASURES YOU CAN TAKE, TO REPAIR AND ADDRESS OR PROVIDE RESTITUTION FOR THE HARM YOU'VE CAUSED.

ASSISTING MIGRATION, ASSISTING ADAPTATION, RESPONDING TO LOSS AND DAMAGE, FINANCIAL COMPENSATION, THIS KIND OF THING.

AND THESE ARE ALL THINGS THE ADVISORY OPINION OF THE ICJ TODAY HIGHLIGHTED.

>> SO, CLIMATE ALSO IS AN AREA WHERE THERE'S, YOU KNOW, COMPETITION BETWEEN THE WORLD'S BIGGEST POWERS, IE THE UNITED STATES AND CHINA.

THE U.S. HAS, AS YOU KNOW, MADE SOME, WELL, IT'S ENDED USAID, SOME OF THE USAID PROGRAMS WERE ALSO ASSISTING IN TRYING TO SUPPORT THE CLIMATE CHANGE CRISIS.

SAVE THE CHILDREN TOLD THE AP THAT THE CUT IN FUNDING FOR LET'S SAY A RAINWATER HARVESTING INITIATIVE IN YOUR COUNTRY'S MOST REMOTE AREAS IS REALLY BAD FOR PEOPLE IN THAT AREA.

AND AT THE SAME TIME, CHINA APPEARS TO BE POTENTIALLY STEPPING IN TO SEE IF IT CAN MITIGATION AND TAKE OVER, MAYBE, FROM WHERE THE U.S. IS PULLING BACK.

IS THIS --IS THIS --IS THIS COMPETITION GOOD, WILL IT SPUR ON SOME KIND OF CLIMATE CHANGE RESTITUTION, OR IS IT ADDING TO THE CHAOS?

>> FOR COUNTRIES IN THE PACIFIC, YOU KNOW, THE BIGGEST THREAT TO OUR SECURITY IS CLIMATE CHANGE.

IT'S NOT ANOTHER COUNTRY.

IT'S NOT CONVENTIONAL MILITARY THREATS.

IT'S CLIMATE CHANGE.

AND THAT'S BEEN MADE CLEAR BY OUR PACIFIC LEADERS.

SO, ANYONE WHO HELPS US TO ADDRESS CLIMATE ISSUES, THAT TAKES THEIR RESPONSIBILITY FOR EMISSIONS SERIOUSLY, THAT TRIES TO TRANSITION THEIR ECONOMY, THAT HELPS US ADAPT, WE WILL REACH OUT TO THEM AS PARTNERS.

AND THAT'S BASICALLY IT.

WE DON'T SEE THIS GEOPOLITICAL COMPETITION BETWEEN CHINA AND IS U.S.

BEING RELEVANT TO OUR NATIONAL NEEDS.

WE NEED SECURITY FOR OUR PEOPLE FROM THE GREATEST THREAT WE HAVE WHICH IS CLIMATE CHANGE.

AND IF ANY COUNTRY DOES NOT TAKE CLIMATE CHANGE SERIOUSLY, DOES NOT TAKE ADAPTATION AND OUR SURVIVAL SERIOUSLY, THEN WE HAVE TO QUESTION THEIR RELEVANCE TO US AS A PARTNER.

>> AND EVEN ALL THE WAY OVER HERE IN THE WEST, WE'VE SEEN JUST RECORD HEAT, RECORD DROUGHT, RECORD WIND, FIRE, ALL THE REST OF IT, EVERY YEAR.

SO, MINISTER, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING AND TELLING US ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS ICJ RULING TODAY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH INDEED.

>> THANK YOU.

>>> NEXT, TO SOUTH AFRICA, WHERE THE EFFECTS OF ENDING USAID IS CLEAR AND UNDENIAL.

FOR MORE THAN 15 YEARS, THE GLOBAL FIGHT AGAINST HIV/AIDS HAS BEEN PHENOMENALLY SUCCESSFUL.

THE U.N.

ESTIMATES THAT MORE THAN 26 MILLION LIVES HAVE BEEN SAVED EVER SINCE GEORGE W. BUSH INTRODUCED THAT LIFE-SAVING PROGRAM CALLED PEPFAR.

THOSE INITIATIVES HAVE PLAYED A CRITICAL ROLE SUPPORTING PRIVATE CLINICS AND DISTRIBUT ING DRUGS.

NOW, IN SOUTH AFRICA, WHICH HAS THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE WORLD LIVING WITH HIV, MANY OF THESE ESSENTIAL CLINICS HAVE BEEN FORCED TO CLOSE.

THIS CRITICAL TIME, ONE OF THE NATION'S BEST-KNOWN ACTIVISTS IS STEPPING BACK INTO THE FRAY.

HE IS ZACKIE ACHMAT.

HE SPENT DECADE FIGHTING FOR TREATMENT FOR EVERY SOUTH AFRICAN, HAVING PREVIOUSLY CAMPAIGNED AGAINST APARTHEID.

HE'S PUTTING THE PRESSURE ON HIS OWN GOVERNMENT TO STEP UP, AS THE U.S. STEPS BACK NOW, AND HE'S JOINING US FROM SOUTH AFRICA.

SO, WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM.

CAN WE JUST START BY SAYING, DID YOU EVER EXPECT AFTER ESSENTIALLY THINKING YOUR JOB HAS HAD BEEN DONE AND GOING INTO A PLEASANT RETIREMENT THAT YOU'D BE BACK ON THE FRONT LINES OF THIS FIGHT?

>> CHRISTIANE, TO START OFF, IT'S PROBABLY AFTER THE GENOCIDE IN GAZA, THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST DANGEROUS STEP THAT DONALD TRUMP HAS TAKEN, AND THAT IS TO PLACE MORE THAN 20 MILLION AFRICAN PEOPLE ON DEATH ROW.

FOR US, THAT MEANS SOMETHING VERY SIMPLY, THAT IF YOU LOOK AT MY CLINIC, THE CLINIC I USED TO ATTEND, WHICH WAS AFFILIATED TO THE PUBLIC SECTOR, BUT WAS FUNDED BY FEP PEPFAR, THAT CLINIC IS SHUT.

THAT CLINIC PROVIDED MEDICINES TO GAY MEN, TO TRANS PEOPLE, TO INTRAVENOUS DRUG USERS AND SO ON.

AND THEY PROVIDED PREP, AS WELL.

TODAY, THOSE CLINICS, AT LEAST 15 OF THOSE CLEAN ICKES INICS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE BEEN SHUT DOWN.

SIMILARLY, CLINICS THAT PROVIDED POSTEXPOSURE DRUGS FOR RAPE SURVIVORS HAVE BEEN SHUT DOWN.

SO, WE'RE IN A SITUATION WHERE THE GOVERNMENT HAS HAD TO PICK UP, SOUTH AFRICA IS VERY LUCKY.

OUR GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN ABLE TO FUND MOST OF OUR AOVs, BUT IF YOU TAKE A PLACE LIKE MALAWI, MOZAMBIQUE, WE HAVE THE CRASHING OF HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS.

NOT SIMPLY PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV, BUT MATERNAL AND CHILD CARE HEALTH GENERALLY, TB PROGRAMS, ALL SHUTTING DOWN.

AND IN THIS SITUATION, WE ARE NOW TOLD THAT CONGRESS HAS SORT OF EEKED OUT A LITTLE BIT FROM DONALD TRUMP TO SAY THAT NOT ALL OF PEPFAR IS GOING TO SHUT DOWN.

IF WE LOOK AT IT, LESS THAN 10% OF THE MONEY ALLOCATED TO PEPFAR WILL BE NOW SPENT.

AND WE DON'T KNOW WHEN IT'S GOING TO BE SPENT.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE SPENT ON.

IT'S CERTAINLY NOT GOING TO COME TO SOUTH AFRICA, BECAUSE ACCORDING TO HIM, WE HAVE A WHITE GENOCIDE GOING ON -- WELL, THAT'S --THAT'S FOR ANOTHER TOPIC AT SOME OTHER TIME, BUT SPECIFICALLY HERE, WHAT WE --OUR CONTINENT IS FACING, IT IS FACING A GENOCIDE OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV.

OF POOR PEOPLE.

PEOPLE WHO CANNOT ACCESS HEALTH CARE.

AND WHY IS THAT SO?

THE UNITED STATES SPENT, THROUGH USAID, $42 BILLION ON GLOBAL AID, BUT IF WE LOOK AT WHAT OUR CONTINENT WILL BE PAYING IN DEBT TO REPAYMENTS THIS YEAR ALONE, WILL BE $89 BILLION, MOST OF WHICH HAVE COME --MOST OF WHICH WILL BE INTEREST REPAYMENTS.

SO, YOU FIND A SITUATION THAT SUDDENLY, OUR INTEREST REPAYMENTS IN OUR COUNTRY IS MORE THAN OUR HEALTH CARE BUDGET.

>> YEAH LET ME JUST STOP YOU FOR A SECOND, I GET IT -- >> THE ANSWER IS -- >> I GET WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, AND YOU'VE COME OUT TO TRY TO CHANGE THIS.

YOU JUST MENTIONED SECRETARY OF STATE RUBIO AND A BIT OF THE HIV PEPFAR PROGRAM.

HE SAYS IT'S 85% OPERATIONAL.

HE'S ALSO SAID NO ONE IN THE WORLD HAS DIED BECAUSE OF USAID CUTS, BUT ANOTHER EXPERT, EMILY BASS, YOU PROBABLY KNOW HER, SHE WROTE A BOOK ABOUT AMERICA FIGHTING AIDS IN AFRICA, SHE SAYS RTS ON PEPFAR ON YOUR CONTINENT SAY IT'S WORKING AT 50% CAPACITY.

AND ESPECIALLY, AS YOU SAY, PREVENTION PROGRAMS FOR VULNERABLE GROUPS HAVE STOPPED ENTIRELY.

I WANT TO ASK YOU, SOME COUNTRIES LIKE POTENTIALLY YOURS WERE IN STRIKING DISTANCE OF ELIMINATING HIV/AIDS AS A PUBLIC HEALTH THREAT BY 2030.

WHEN PEPFAR WAS UP AND RUNNING AT FULL --AT FULL SPEED.

DO YOU --HAS THAT --IS THAT AT RISK NOW?

THIS THING THAT YOU THOUGHT WOULD BE ELIMINATED AS A PUBLIC HEALTH THREAT AROUND THE CONTINENT?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

THE QUESTION IS, THAT SOUTH AFRICA WAS WELL ON THE WAY TO GETTING OUR EPIDEMIC COMPLETELY UNDER CONTROL.

AND POSSIBLY WITHIN A FIVE TO TEN-YEAR PERIOD, ENDING THE EPIDEMIC ITSELF, BECAUSE OF THE NEW DEVELOPMENTS AROUND A MEDICINE GILIAD PRODUCES, WHICH WOULD ALLOW PREVENTION, TO SIMPLY BE ADMINISTERED, TWO INJECTIONS ONCE A YEAR, AND THAT MEANS --TWICE A YEAR --AND THAT WOULD HAVE MEANT THAT MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PREVENT HIV AND PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF, WHO SE VIE VALUE LOAD IS UNDETECTABLE, WE WOULDN'T TRANSMIT.

AS LONG AS MORE PEOPLE WERE COMING ONTO THE PROGRAM AND MORE PEOPLE WERE ACCESSING PREVENTION, WE WERE GOING TO GET THIS EPIDEMIC UNDER CONTROL.

RIGHT NOW, ALL THAT IS IN DANGER, AND PEOPLE WILL BE DYING IN THE MOST HORRIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES, CHOKING TO DEATH, NOT KNOWING WHO THEIR CHILDREN ARE, DYING IN CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WOULD BE UNIMAGINABLE TO ANYONE.

>> ZACKIE, I WANT TO --I WANT TO PLAY A LITTLE BIT, BECAUSE YOU TALK ABOUT CHILDREN AND PARENTS AND IN 2006, AROUND 2006, I DID A DOCUMENTARY IN KENYA, AND, YOU KNOW, IT WAS ABOUT EXPLORING WHY ALL THESE CHILDREN HAD NO PARENTS AND THEIR NDPARENTS WERE LOOKING AFTER THEM, THAT'S BECAUSE THE PARENTS, A LOT OF THEM WERE DYING OF AIDS.

I WANT TO PLAY JUST A LITTLE CLIP, BECAUSE IT ILLUSTRATES WHAT YOU'VE JUST SAID.

>> MUKTAR AND HIS PARENTS WERE ABANDONED BY THEIR FAMILY WHEN HUSSEIN GOT AIDS.

LIKE SO MANY AFRICAN MEN, HE GOT IT ON THE ROAD, HE WAS A TRUCK DRIVER, AND HE BROUGHT THE DISEASE HOME TO HIS WIFE.

YET SHE'S THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS STOOD BY HIM.

>> MY OWN FAMILY FLEW ME OUT.

ONCE THAT HAPPENED, NO NEIGHBOR OR FRIEND COULD HELP ME.

>> HAVE YOU MADE PREPARATIONS FOR YOUR SON'S FUTURE?

>> IF WE DIED NOW, HE WOULD BE IN GREAT TROUBLE.

BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ANYONE WHO WILL TAKE HIM.

>> SO, HUSSEIN DID DIE AFTER THAT, BUT SO, THEY'VE JUST SAID, THERE WILL BE NOBODY TO HELP IF WE DIE, AND NOBODY TO HELP US.

SO, WHO DO YOU THINK CAN PICK UP THE SLACK, SO TO SPEAK?

IS THERE ANY ORGANIZATION OR ANY SYSTEM THAT CAN?

>> WELL, FOR ALL OF US, WE BELIEVE THAT CHINA HAS A DUTY TO STEP IN, THAT INDIA SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT ITS DRUG COMPANIES HAVE MADE ENORMOUS PROFITS FROM SELLING MEDICINES, GENERIC MEDICINES TO THE AFRICAN CONTINENT, AND THEY HAVE OTHER HEALTH CARE INVESTMENTS, INDIA SHOULD STEP UP TO IT, BUT AGAIN, OUR OWN GOVERNMENTS MUST FIGHT CORRUPTION.

AND DEAL WITH THOSE QUESTIONS, AS WELL.

HAVING SAID THAT, THE -- THE GLOBAL FUND ITSELF HAS CUT MORE THAN $200 MILLION FROM SOUTH AFRICA'S GLOBAL FUND AGREEMENT, AND THAT PUTS IT EVEN -- OUR HIV PROGRAM AT GREATER RISK.

IT IS DOING THE SAME IN OTHER COUNTRIES, AND THEREFORE, THE FACT THAT EUROPE, BRITAIN HAS DECIDED TO SPEND MORE MONEY ON WAR THAN ON DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE, SO HAS GERMANY, AND SO ON.

WE SEE A WORLD RACING TOWARDS WAR RATHER THAN TO SAVING LIVES.

AND I WOULD SAY, IT'S OUR DUTY TO BUILD A GLOBAL RESISTANCE MOVEMENT TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO LIFE, THE RIGHT TO HEALTH CARE, THE RIGHT TO WATER AND SANITATION, AND JUST THE RIGHT TO BE DEPRESSED.

>> THE RIGHT TO BE DEPRESSED.

YOU KNOW, YOU TALK ABOUT BUILDING A GLOBAL RESISTANCE MOVEMENT, YOU'RE ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS SOUTH AFRICAN RESISTERS, YOU FOUGHT AGAINST APARTHEID.

NELSON MANDELA WORE THE SAME HIV POSITIVE T-SHIRT, HE SUPPORTED YOU A LOT.

AND THEN HIS SUCCESSOR THREW THE WHOLE KIT AND KA BOOBL KABOODLE OUT.

YOU HAD TO FIGHT THAT, AS WELL.

TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE FIGHT AGAINST APARTHEID AND THE FIGHT AGAINST YOUR OWN PRESIDENT, WHEN HE WAS, YOU KNOW, AN HIV DENIER.

>> YEAH, YOU KNOW, IN IN THE 1970s AND s, WE HAD AN ENORMOUS ENERGY IN THE COUNTRY, AN ENERGY THAT SAW YOUNG PEOPLE, OLDER PEOPLE, WORKERS, MIDDLE CLASS PEOPLE, ALL JOIN IN A MOVEMENT TO DEFEAT APARTHEID.

WE HAD THE WORLD ON OUR SIDE THROUGH SANCTIONS, THROUGH BOY COLTS, THROUGH DIE VESTMENT, AND THE UNITED STATES CAME LATE TO THAT PARTY, BUT IT DID, EVENTUALLY.

NOW, WHAT WE HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY IS MANDELA COMING TO POWER, AND --AND THAT MOMENT 30 YEARS AGO, WHEN WE HAD A NEW CONSTITUTION, NEXT YEAR IT WILL BE 30 YEARS SINCE OUR FINAL CONSTITUTION CAME INTO OPERATION, '96, BUT THAT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT PERIOD IN SOUTH AFRICA'S HISTORY, BECAUSE THE AGENCY THAT CAME TO POWER TOOK STEPS TO REDRESS IN EQUALITY IN A MANNER THAT WASN'T SEEN.

SO, FROM MOST PEOPLE NOT HAVING ELECTRICITY, 90% OF PEOPLE HAVE ELECTRICITY, MOST PEOPLE NOT HAVING ACCESS TO WATER, PEOPLE --WORKING CLASS PEOPLE GETTING ACCESS TO WATER.

SO, IT TOOK MAJOR STEPS, EVEN IN THE HEALTH CARE SECTOR, ESTABLISHING PRIMARY HEALTH CARE CLINICS AND SO ON, DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE HAD A DEBT TO PAY BACK.

COME MBEKI, AND WHEN HE CAME TO POWER, HE SAID IV DOES NOT CAUSE AIDS, AND IT WAS ALL A CONSPIRACY TO DOMINATE THE AFRICAN CONTINUE INNOCENT, BECAUSE WHITE SUPREMACISTS HYPER SEXUALIZED AFRICAN'S IDENTITIES.

AND SO, FROM THAT POINT OF VIEW, AND THEN HE ADDED ON THAT ANTI-ANTI- RETRO VIRAL TREATMENT IS POISON.

AND SO, FROM A SITUATION WHERE I CAMPAIGNED FOR HIM TO BE PRESIDENT, FROM -- AND ACTUALLY BEING REALLY MOVED BY HIS SPEECH WHEN HE WON THE ELECTION, SAYING, LET'S GET TO WORK, WE WENT INTO A SITUATION WHERE OUR GOVERNMENT, OUR PRESIDENT, DECLARED A CIVIL WAR ON HIS OWN PEOPLE, A WAR FOUGHT WITHOUT GUNS, BUT A WAR THAT WITHHELD LIFE-SAVING MEDICINES FROM PEOPLE.

>> YEAH.

>> THE LOWEST ESTIMATE IS 300,000 PEOPLE WHO DIED UNDER HIM.

THE HIGHER ESTIMATES PUT IT IN THE 2 MILLIONS.

>> WOW.

>> I WOULD SAY, WHAT PEOPLE FORGET ARE THE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WHO BECAME INFECTED BECAUSE HE WASN'T TREATING US, AND WE DEFEATED HIM, AND I HOPE THE WORLD WILL STAND TOGETHER SO THAT WE CAN DEFEAT ROBERT KENNEDY, SO THAT WE CAN DEFEAT DONALD TRUMP, AND WITHIN OUR OWN GOVERNMENT, MAKE SURE THAT OUR GOVERNMENT GIVES CLEAR PLANS AS TO HOW IT'S GOING TO DEAL WITH THIS EPIDEMIC NOW.

>> SO, FINALLY THEN, YOU ARE AN ACTIVIST, YOU ARE OBVIOUSLY MASSIVELY COMMITTED, YOU'VE COME OUT OF RETIREMENT TO FIGHT THIS FIGHT AGAIN, I WONDER WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THE STORIES, WHERE INDIVIDUALS, NURSES AND, YOU KNOW, CLINICIANS, WHO HAVEN'T BEEN PAID SINCE USAID WAS CUT, THEY'RE STILL GOING TO WORK, THEY'RE STILL TRYING TO HELP THE PEOPLE WHO DESPERATELY NEED IT.

IT'S PRETTY --IT'S PRETTY GREAT SACRIFICE AND TESTAMENT.

>> LOOK, CHRISTIANE, THERE'S NOTHING I CAN SAY THAT WILL MAKE IT BETTER FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THEIR BEST.

NOTHING THAT WE SAY CAN DO IT BETTER.

THE FEELING THAT PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF HAVE IS, AT TIMES, ONE OF COMPLETE HOPELESSNESS, BUT AT TIMES, KNOWING THAT THE NECESSITY OF RESISTANCE WILL GIVE US STRENGTH.

AND --AND FOR ME, THE QUESTION IS, HOW MANY YOUNG PEOPLE WE CAN BRING IN, BECAUSE I REMEMBER THE DAYS WHEN BEN WICKLER WHO WAS THE CHAIR OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN WISCONSIN, STARTED THE STUDENT GLOBAL AIDS COALITION, BUT SUDDENLY, NOW, WITHIN THE UNITED STATES ITSELF, THERE ARE SO MANY BATTLES TO FIGHT THAT LOOKING FOR INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY IN AMERICA IS DIFFICULT, BECAUSE WE REALLY NEED TO BE GIVING INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY THERE.

SO, IF YOU ASK ME WHO THE GREATEST PEOPLE ARE NOW, IT IS THOSE NURSES, IT IS THOSE COUNSELORS, IT IS THOSE DOCTORS AND CLINICIANS, WHO CONTINUE TO WORK.

IT IS NOT THOSE OF US WHO SAY SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE.

>> WOW.

IT'S ALL OF YOU.

ZACKIE ACHMAT, THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

>>> NOW, IN THE UNITED STATES, SOME IMMIGRANT IES FEAR THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S I.C.E.

CRACKDOWN, THEY ARE TAKING THE PAINFUL DECISION TO LEAVE THE UNITED STATES, EVEN IF IT MEANS SEPARATING FROM THEIR FAMILIES.

ONE SUCH CASE IS THAT OF SAE JOON PARK, A U.S. ARMY VETERAN RECENTLY FORCED TO SELF-DEPORT BACK TO SOUTH KOREA.

OVER DECADE S-OLD DRUG CHARGES THAT WERE LINKED TO PTSD HE SUFFERED.

HE AND HIS ATTORNEY DANICOLE RAMOS JOINED MICHEL MARTIN TO SHARE HIS STORY OF LEAVING BEHIND THE ONLY COUNTRY HE'S EVER CALLED HOME.

>> THANK YOU, CHRISTIANE.

SAE JOON PARK, DANICOLE RAMOS, THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH FOR SPEAKING WITH US TODAY.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

MR. PARK, I'M GOING TO START WITH YOU.

YOU CAME TO THE UNITED STATES BY YOURSELF WHEN YOU WERE SO YOUNG, SO, AS BRIEFLY AS YOU CAN, WOULD YOU JUST TELL US WHAT --WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO THE UNITED STATES AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE, AND ALONE?

>> MY MOM CAME TO THE UNITED STATES WHEN I WAS 6 AND I WAS LIVING WITH MY FATHER AT THE TIME, SO, HE READ ME A LETTER FROM MY MOM AND ASKED ME IF I WANTED TO GO LIVE WITH MY MOM.

AT THAT TIME, AS A YOUNG CHILD, I MADE THAT CHOICE TO GO LIVE WITH MY MOM, SO, HE SET UP EVERYTHING, THEY PUT A LITTLE TAG ON ME AND I GOT ON A PLANE BY MYSELF AND GOT ESCORTED FROM KOREA TO HAWAII, HAWAII TO L.A., L.A. TO DALLAS, AND DALLAS TO MIAMI.

>> OH, MY GOODNESS.

>> AND I REUNITED WITH MY MOM AT 7 YEARS OLD.

>> AT ONE POINT, YOU ENLISTED IN THE ARMY.

YOU WENT INTO COMBAT IN PANAMA.

YOU WERE ONLY 19 YEARS OLD.

I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU WERE SHOT.

YOU WERE ACTUALLY SPOT IN THE SPINE.

>> YES.

WELL, I TURNED 20 IN BASIC TRAINING.

SO, I JOINED AT 19, AND THEN DURING THE WAR, I WAS 20 YEARS OLD.

IT WAS THE SECOND DAY, SECOND DAY PATROLLING AROUND, I GOT SHOT TWICE IN THE BACK, ONE WAS IN THE SPINE, AND THE OTHER ONE, LEFT LOWER BACK AND IT WENT IN MY BODY, TUMBLING AROUND DODGING ALL MY MAJOR ORGANS.

IF I TOOK AN X-RAY, I STILL HAVE LITTLE SHRAPNELS LEFT INSIDE MY BODY.

>> OH, MY GOODNESS.

>> I WAS LUCKY.

>> WELL, I'M GLAD YOU ARE HERE WITH US TO TELL US THE STORY.

BUT YOU RECEIVED THE PURPLE HEART, WHICH IS ACKNOWLEDGING THAT YOU WERE WOUNDED IN ACTION, AND YOU WERE HONORABLY DISCHARGED.

IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, THOUGH, THAT YOU STRUGGLED AFTER YOU LEFT THE SERVICE.

WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS?

CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT?

>> AT THE TIME, THERE WAS NO SUCH THING AT PTSD, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS.

I HAD NIGHTMARES ALMOST EVERY NIGHT.

I COULDN'T SLEEP, I HAD NIGHTMARES.

I'D BE COLD SWEATS OUT OF NOWHERE.

I COULDN'T WATCH WAR MOVIES, I COULDN'T HEAR LOUD SOUNDS, LIKE --AT THE TIME, IN L.A., THERE WAS A LOT OF GUNFIRE GOING ON EVERY NIGHT, YOU COULD HEAR THE GUNSHOTS, SO, EVERY TIME I WOULD HEAR A GUNSHOT, I WOULD GET NERVOUS AND START ACTING OUT.

I COULDN'T TELL ANYBODY WHAT I WAS GOING THROUGH, BECAUSE ONCE AGAIN, THERE WAS NO SUCH THING AS PTSD, AND, LIKE, BEING A MALE, SUPPOSED TO BE A TOUGH GUY, I DIDN'T WANT TO GO CRYING TO ANYONE ABOUT WHAT I WAS FEELING.

SO, I REALLY HAD TO DEAL WITH EVERYTHING ON MY OWN.

>> WELL, JUST FORGIVE ME, WITH RESPECT, THERE WAS SUCH A THING AS PTSD, BUT APPARENTLY THERE WAS NO LANGUAGE FOR IT THEN.

DO YOU THINK YOU STARTED SELF-MEDICATING AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THAT?

>> WELL, I DEFINITELY FEEL THAT WAY, BECAUSE MARIJUANA HELPED.

IT HELPED ME GO TO SLEEP WITHOUT DREAMING, BECAUSE I HAD NIGHTMARES ALL THE TIME.

I FOUND A WAY, IF I SMOKED WEED, I WOULD ACTUALLY GET TO SLEEP AT NIGHT.

SO, THAT'S WHAT KIND OF STARTED IT OFF.

IT ENDED UP TO HARDER DRUGS.

I STARTED DOING CRACK COCAINE, AND, WHICH PRETTY MUCH TOOK CONTROL OF MY LIFE AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE, AND THAT'S WHERE WHEN I DID GET ARRESTED, IT WAS POSSESSION OF CRACK COCAINE.

>> AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, BAIL --BAIL JUMPING OR NOT MEETING A REQUIRED COURT APPEARANCE, IS THAT ACCURATE?

>> YES.

THE JUDGE GAVE ME A FEW CHANCES.

SHE TOLD ME ONE TIME, LIKE, MR. PARK, NEXT TIME YOU COME INTO MY COURTROOM WITH A DIRTY URINE, YOU WILL BE SENT TO PRISON, SO, ME BEING SCARED AND NERVOUS --THAT HAPPENED IN NEW YORK, SO I GOT IN MY CAR AND FROM NEW YORK I DROVE TO L.A. AND THEN FROM L.A., GOT ON A PLANE AND WENT TO HAWAII.

>> OH, MY.

>> A YEAR AND A HALF LATER, THE U.S.

MARSHALS CAME LOOKING FOR ME, AND THEN I TURNED MYSELF IN, ONCE I FOUND OUT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR ME.

>> YOU DID SERVE TIME IN PRISON.

YOU THEN DID HAVE MANY, MANY YEARS OF SOBRIETY, YOU RAISED A FAMILY.

IT'S MY UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'VE --HOW ELSE CAN I PUT IT, YOU HAVE FULFILLED YOUR OBLIGATIONS TO THE COUNTRY, IS THAT --WOULD THAT BE FAIR TO SAY?

>> YES.

I LIVE WITH THAT ADDICTION FOR MANY YEARS, SO, WHEN I WENT TO PRISON, WHEN PEOPLE SAY, WHEN YOU HIT ROCK BOTTOM, IT'S EASY TO QUIT.

LITERALLY, WHEN I WENT --SENT TO PRISON, THAT WAS MY ROCK BOTTOM.

I STARTED PRAYING EVERY NIGHT, LOSING MY KIDS, LOSING MY FAMILY, NOT KNOWING HOW LONG I'M GOING TO BE GONE FOR, SO, THAT REALLY HELPED ME KICK THE DRUG HABIT COLD TURKEY.

IT WAS NOT HARD AFTER THAT.

AND THEN, WHEN I DID GET RELEASED, I WANTED TO CATCH UP MY TIME WITH MY CHILDREN AND LIVE A GOOD LIFE, AND, WHICH I HAVE BEEN DOING, CHECKING IN WITH I.C.E., OR IMMIGRATION OFFICERS EVERY YEAR, AT FIRST, IT WAS ONCE A MONTH, AND THEN ONCE EVERY THREE MONTHS AND THEN ONCE EVERY SIX MONTHS, AND EVENTUALLY, SINCE I WAS DOING GOOD, THEY PUT IT TO ONCE EVERY YEAR.

AND THAT'S HOW I'VE BEEN LIVING FOR THE PAST 14 YEARS, OVER 14 YEARS.

>> SO, HERE'S WHERE I WANT TO TURN TO YOUR ATTORNEY, DANICOLE RAMOS.

IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT --THAT MR. PARK DID HAVE A REMOVAL ORDER, WOULD THAT BE AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THIS DRUG CONVICTION, WOULD THAT HAVE BEEN THAT?

>> YEAH, SO FOR MR. PARK'S SITUATION, HE HAD A REMOVAL ORDER BASED ON TWO CONVICTIONS THAT HAPPENED IN NEW YORK THAT HE MENTIONED.

SO, ONE WAS THE POSSESSION OF THE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, AND THEN THE OTHER WAS JUMPING BAIL, WHEN HE MISSED THAT DRUG COURT -- THAT DRUG TESTING DATE, MANDATED BY HIS JUDGE.

SO, THOSE TWO CONVICTIONS ALONE WERE WHAT IMMIGRATIONS AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT USED TO INSERT A REMOVAL ORDER ON HIM.

NOW, THE THING THAT WAS THE MOST SERIOUS OUT OF THE TWO CONVICTIONS WERE HIS BAIL JUMPING, AND IN IMMIGRATION LAW, BAIL JUMPING IS CONSIDERED AN AGGRAVATED FELONY, AND FOR AGGRAVATED FELONIES, IN IMMIGRATION LAW, THEY'RE VERY SERIOUS CRIMES.

THEY'RE CONSIDERED CONVICTIONS THAT HAVE NO POTENTIAL RELIEF FROM DEPORTATION OR CAN POSSIBLY PERMANENTLY BAR YOU FROM NATURALIZING AS A U.S. CITIZEN.

WE CAN THINK OF THEM AS, LIKE, MURDER, WE CAN THINK OF THEM AS RAPE, ROBBERY, OR TRAFFICKING DRUGS OR HUMAN TRAFFICKING.

IT SEEMS SURREAL THAT JUMPING BAIL IS CONSIDERED AN AGGRAVATED FELONY, ALMOST THE EQUIVALENT OF MURDER, RAPE, ROBBERY, DEALING DRUGS.

AND SO, BECAUSE OF THAT BAIL JUMPING CONVICTION THAT HE HAD IN NEW YORK, THAT WAS THE REASON THAT HE WAS BARRED FROM ANY RELIEF OR CANCELLATION FROM REMOVAL, AND THAT'S WHY THAT REMOVAL OF ORDER WAS REINSTATED IN 2010.

>> MR. PARK HAS A E AL ORDER, BUT HE'S LIVED IN THIS COUNTRY FOR ALL THIS TIME.

HE HAD IT FOR 14 YEARS AND NOTHING HAPPENED.

SO, THEN WHAT HAPPENED?

>> WHEN HE FIRST GOT THE REMOVAL ORDER, IMMIGRATIONS AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT, I.C.E.

HAS DISCRETION TO ENFORCE WHICH REMOVAL ORDERS THEY WANT TO.

AND SO, WHAT THEN THEY DECIDED TO WORK ON WAS, HEY, MR. PARK, YOU KNOW, YOU DO HAVE A REMOVAL ORDER, YOU DID DO THESE CONVICTIONS, BUT WE'RE GOING TO PUT YOU ON SOMETHING CALLED DEFERRED ACTION.

AND DEFERRED ACTION IS WHAT I.C.E.

USES AS THEIR DISCRETION TO SAY, HEY, YOU DO HAVE A DEPORTATION ORDER, WE CAN REMOVE YOU, BUT CONSIDERING MR. PARK'S, YOU KNOW, BACKGROUND AS A PURPLE HEART VETERAN, THEY DECIDED THAT HE WOULDN'T BE CONSIDERED A PRIORITY FOR DEPORTATION.

THEY WOULD JUST LET HIM LIVE HIS LIFE.

BUT WITH CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS, AS HE MENTIONED, RIGHT?

SO, CHECKING IN WITH I.C.E.

ON A REGULAR BASIS, MAKING SURE THAT HE STAYS CLEAN AND SOBER, AND THEN HE DOES HAVE WORK AUTHORIZATION, SO, HE'S STILL ALLOWED TO WORK, HE HAD TO PAY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS A YEAR TO RENEW THAT WORK PERMIT, BUT HE WAS ABLE TO LIVE HIS LIFE, SO LONG AS HE, YOU KNOW, HAD NO CRIMINAL RECORD AND STAYED CLEAN AND SOBER.

>> SO, THEN, WHAT HAPPENED?

SO, LAST MONTH, WHAT HAPPENED LAST MONTH?

>> YEAH, SO, FOR MR. PARK, YOU KNOW, HE WAS WARNED AT HIS LAST CHECK- IN IN MAY OF 2024 THAT IF PRESIDENT TRUMP RETURNS TO OFFICE, THERE'S A STRONG CHANCE THAT HE WOULD GET HIS DEFERRED ACTION TAKEN AWAY, AND THAT THE REMOVAL ORDER BACK IN 2010 WOULD BE ENFORCED.

WE GO BACK IN JUNE, LAST MONTH, TO CHECK IN WITH THE I.C.E.

OFFICER, AND THE I.C.E.

OFFICER SAID, AND I --I REMEMBER VIVIDLY WHAT HE TOLD ME, WAS, LIKE, BECAUSE OF THIS NEW ADMINISTRATION, BECAUSE OF THIS NEW REGIME, THAT --WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE AWAY YOUR DEFERRED ACTION, AND THE I.C.E.

OFFICER DID SAY TO HIM THAT, YOU KNOW, I COULD DETAIN YOU RIGHT NOW, BUT WHAT WE WORKED OUT WITH I.C.E.

OFFICERS LIKE HIM, IT DOESN'T LOOK GOOD THAT YOU'RE GOING TO DETAIN HIM RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE HIS WHOLE FAMILY IS HERE, WAITING FOR HIM AT HIS I.C.E.

CHECK-IN.

SO, WHAT WE AGREED TO DO IS THAT MR. PARK WOULD SELF-DEPORT, PUT ON AN ANKLE MONITOR UNTIL THEN AND HAVE AN ITINERARY TO LEAVE THE UNITED STATES BY THE END OF THE MONTH.

>> MR. PARK, CAN I JUST ASK WHAT WENT THROUGH YOUR MIND WHEN YOU HEARD THIS?

>> THAT NIGHT, WHEN I WENT HOME, I THINK IT WAS, LIKE, PTSD, I HAD A HARD TIME SLEEPING THAT NIGHT, BECAUSE KNOWING THAT I COULD HAVE BEEN DETAINED, AND I COULD HAVE BEEN IN A JAIL CELL INSTEAD OF ME BEING AT HOME, IT DID A LOT TO ME, AND IT WAS SURREAL.

I HAD THREE WEEKS TO REMOVE MYSELF.

MY CHILDREN, MY PARENTS, THEY'RE OLD, MY AUNT AND UNCLE, THEY'RE ALL OLD AND I'VE KIND OF BEEN TAKING CARE OF THEM, SO, PROCESSING EVERYTHING WAS REALLY TOUGH.

I JUST COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT IT WAS ACTUALLY HAPPENING.

I HAVEN'T BEEN TO KOREA IN OVER 30 YEARS, 30 YEARS, LITERALLY, SO, IT'S LIKE GOING BACK TO A COUNTRY THAT I HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT, SO -- IT WAS REALLY TOUGH.

AND A LOT WAS GOING THROUGH MY MIND ALL THE WAY THROUGH UNTIL THE DAY I GOT ON THAT PLANE.

>> YOU ALMOST MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE, I MEAN, YOU TOOK TWO BULLETS, A BULLET IN THE SPINE FOR THE UNITED STATES, AND SO I'M JUST CURIOUS, IF YOU DON'T MIND MY ASKING, WHY YOU NEVER APPLIED FOR CITIZENSHIP.

>> YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND, I CAME WHEN I WAS 7 YEARS OLD.

LEGAL RESIDENT WITH A GREEN CARD, THROUGH MY MOTHER AND EVERYTHING.

I NEVER --I ALWAYS THOUGHT I WAS ALMOST EQUIVALENT AS A CITIZEN.

I NEVER JOINED THE MILITARY TO GET A CITIZEN, IT WASN'T LIKE THAT.

I ALWAYS FELT LIKE, I AM AN AMERICAN, BECAUSE I CAME HERE SO EARLY, AND WITH THE LEGAL GREEN CARD, I THOUGHT I WAS --I COULD JUST LIVE IN THE UNITED STATES LIKE A NORMAL CITIZEN.

AND THEN, I HAD OTHER PRIORITIES, I WAS STILL YOUNG, AND NEVER THOUGHT GETTING CITIZENSHIP WAS ON THE TOP OF MY PRIORITY, BECAUSE I THOUGHT I WAS AN AMERICAN, I SERVED FOR THE COUNTRY, AND I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS --NORMAL AND LEGAL FOR ME TO JUST LIVE IN THE UNITED STATES WITH A GREEN CARD.

I REALLY FELT THAT WAY.

OBVIOUSLY I WAS WRONG.

>> THERE ARE THOSE WHO WOULD ARGUE THAT A PERSON WHO BREAKS THE LAW, ESPECIALLY A FELONY, ACHIEVING CITIZENSHIP THROUGH NATURALIZATION IS A PROVE LENL, PRIVILEGE, NOT A RIGHT, AND YOU FORFEIT THAT RIGHT BY BREAKING THE LAW.

>> 100%.

I MADE MISTAKES.

I WAS --EXACTLY, I HAD A DRUG ADDICTION, IT WASN'T LIKE A VIOLENT CRIME, I WASN'T HURTING OTHER PEOPLE, I WAS HURTING MYSELF.

NOW, I REALIZE, IT WAS MOSTLY DUE TO MY PTSD AND OTHER PROBLEMS I HAD, BUT I NEVER, LIKE, DENIED THAT FACT THAT, YES, I DID BREAK THE LAW, I WASN'T IN THE RIGHT CLEAR MENTAL STATE.

EVEN WITH MY KIDS, EVERYTHING, IT WAS TOUGH, IT WAS TOUGH LIVING THAT LIFE AS AN ADDICTED PERSON, TRYING TO MAKE IT THROUGH EVERY DAY WITH THE STRUGGLE OF BEING A DRUG ADDICT.

SO, I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND WHEN PEOPLE SAY THAT ABOUT ME, BECAUSE THAT'S WHO I WAS AT THE TIME.

STRUGGLING WITH DRUGS.

>> SO, WE DID REACH OUT TO I.C.E.

ABOUT WHY YOUR DEFERRED ACTION WAS REVOKED AFTER MORE THAN A DECADE OF COMPLIANCE, AS MR. RAMOS JUST LAID OUT, AND THIS IS WHAT THE AGENCY SAID IN A STATEMENT.

THEY SAID, SAE JOON PARK'S EXTENSIVE CRIMINAL HISTORY INCLUDES CONVICTIONS FOR POSSESSING, MANUFACTURING, OR SELLING A DANGEROUS WEAPON, CARRYING A LOADED FIREARM IN A PUBLIC PLACE, ASSAULT, AND CRIMINAL POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE.

IN 2010, AN IMMIGRATION JUDGE ISSUED HIM ABOUT ORDER OF REMOVAL.

PARK'S APPEAL TO THE BOARD OF IMMIGRATION APPEALS THAT SAME MONTH WAS DISMISSED BY THE BOARD IN APRIL 2011.

WITH NO LEGAL BASIS TO REMAIN IN THE U.S. AND A FINAL ORDER OF REMOVAL, PARK WAS ALLOWED TO SELF-DEPORT TO KOREA.

PRESIDENT TRUMP AND SECRETARY NOEM HAVE BEEN CLEAR, CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIENS ARE NOT WELCOME IN THE U.S.

IF YOU COME TO OUR COUNTRY AND BREAK OUR LAWS, WE WILL FIND YOU, ARREST YOU, AND DEPORT YOU.

THAT'S A PROMISE.

SO, THAT'S WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT, SO, CAN I HEAR FROM EACH OF YOU ABOUT HOW YOU RESPOND TO THAT?

>> I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY CAME UP WITH THE MANUFACTURING --BECAUSE I'VE NEVER DONE THAT, I'VE NEVER MANUFACTURED NO DANGEROUS WEAPON.

YES, I HAVE BEEN ARRESTED WITH POSSESSION OF A GUN.

THE REASON WHY I MOVED TO HAWAII FROM L.A. WAS, WE WERE VICTIMS, OUR FAMILY IS, THE LA RIOTS, OUR STORE BURNT DOWN, GOT ROOTED.

IN THAT TIME, JUST GOING TO WORK IN SOUTH CENTRAL L.A., I WOULD ALWAYS CARRY A GUN.

I DIDN'T HAVE A PERMIT, BUT IT WAS FOR SAFETY, AND ONE DAY, I GOT PULLED OVER AND I HAD A CONCEALED WEAPON ON ME, THAT'S WHERE THAT GUN CHARGE CAME FROM.

AND THE FIRING WAS, I WAS CELEBRATING ME JOINING THE ARMY ON TOP OF -- A COUPLE OF FRIENDS, SHOOTING UP IN THE AIR, THE FIREARM, POSSESSION OF GUN, THOSE TWO ARE REAL, BUT I NEVER MANUFACTURED NO GUNS OR SOLICITED -- I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY GOT THAT FROM, BECAUSE THAT WASN'T WHAT I DID.

THAT WAS NOT PART OF THAT.

>> MR. RAMOS, WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT?

YOU HEARD THE I.C.E.

STATEMENT.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THAT?

>> YEAH, SO, FIRST OF ALL, I'LL SAY, MR. PARK WAS NEVER WHAT THEY QUOTED AS A CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIEN.

HE CAME HERE AS A GREEN CARD HOLDER.

SO, I JUST WANT TO GET THAT RECORD STRAIGHT.

AND THEN, THE SECOND PART I WANT TO RESPOND TO WITH THAT COMMENT WITH DHS IS, WHAT DOES DEPORTING --HOW DOES DEPORTING SOMEONE LIKE MR. PARK, A PURPLE HEART VETERAN, WHO SERVED THIS COUNTRY, TOOK TWO BULLETS FOR THIS COUNTRY, AND DESPITE HIS PAST MISTAKES, WAS ABLE TO TURN HIS LIFE AROUND, REDEEM HIMSELF, RAISE TWO KIDS, V A HAVE A JOB, AND AT THE SAME TIME, TAKE CARE OF HIS ELDERLY MOTHER, WHO IS FACING EARLY ON- SET STAGES OF DEMENTIA?

HOW DOES THAT -- HOW DOES DEPORTING HIM MAKE THIS COUNTRY SAFER?

WHEN I THINK ABOUT MR. PARK'S SITUATION, RIGHT, THERE'S A LOT OF VETERANS LIKE HIM WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH WHAT HE'S GONE THROUGH, SUFFERED PTSD FROM DY DEPLOYMENT, THEY WENT THROUGH DRUG ADDICTION, AND LIKE MR. PARK, THEY OVERCOME IT.

AND THEY GET SUPPORT TO OVERCOME IT.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM AND MR. PARK IS THAT MR. PARK HAS THIS IMMIGRATION STATUS OF HIS THAT EFFECTS HIS ABILITY TO STAY IN THE UNITED STATES, AND PUNISHES HIM FOR PAST MISTAKES, EVEN THOUGH HE SHOWED THAT HE'S REDEEMED HIMSELF.

AND I THINK IN EVERY ASPECT OF MR. PARK, BESIDES PAPER, HE IS AN AMERICAN.

EVERY SENSE OF HIM, EVERY PART OF HIS STORY, IS AMERICAN.

I THINK THERE ARE SO MANY PARTS OF IT THAT I THINK PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY CAN RESONATE WITH.

>> SO, MR. PARK, WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO GO BACK TO KOREA AFTER NOT HAVING LIVED THERE FOR SO MANY YEARS?

DO YOU EVEN SPEAK KOREAN ANYMORE?

>> LUCKILY, I DO, BECAUSE OF MY MOM.

I TAKE CARE OF HER, SHE SPEAKS FLUPTLY CAREER YAN.

SO, AT HOME, I DID KEEP THAT PART.

I CAN'T READ OR WRITE, AND I GUESS IT'S BROKEN KOREAN, IT'S NOT LIKE I SPEAK IT PERFECTLY, BUT ENOUGH TO GET BY.

IT'S OVERWHELMING.

THE FIRST THREE, FOUR DAYS, I COULDN'T STOP CRYING FOR HOURS EVERY MORNING, JUST -- EVERYTHING SINKING IN, I THINK MY PTSD WAS ACTING UP A LITTLE MORE.

FEELING ASHAMED, YOU KNOW, BEING KICKED OUT OF THE COUNTRY, COMING BACK TO A COUNTRY I HAVEN'T BEEN.

SO, IT HAS BEEN REALLY TOUGH.

IT HAS BEEN REALLY TOUGH.

IT'S --TOMORROW WILL BE EXACTLY ONE MONTH SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE.

IT'S BEEN A LONG MONTH.

SO I'M DOING MY BEST.

I'M STILL HOPEFUL MAYBE ONE DAY I CAN MAKE IT BACK TO MY FAMILY, MY REAL FAMILY IN HAWAII.

>> SO, MR. RAMOS, BEFORE WE LET YOU GO, DOES MR. PARK HAVE ANY RECOURSE?

>> YES, HE DOES.

WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL THESE LEGAL OPTIONS, AND I'VE EXPRESSED THIS TO MR. PARK BEFORE, IT'S GOING TO BE A LONG PROCESS, AND A LONG SHOT.

SO, THE MAIN THING THAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IS, WE SENT IN A REQUEST A MONTH AGO TO THE QUEENS DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO REPLEAD THOSE TWO CONVICTIONS THAT CAUSED HIS DEPORTATION ORDER IN THE FIRST PLACE.

SO, OUT'S THE POTION IT'S THE POSSESSION OF THE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE AND THE JUMPING BAIL.

THERE'S A NEW LAW IN 2023 FROM THE SECOND CIRCUIT THAT MAKES HIS POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE NO LONGER A REMOVABLE OFFENSE.

HOWEVER, HE STILL HAS THIS BAIL JUMPING CONVICTION, WHICH IS THE AGGRAVATED FELONY THAT BARRED HIM FROM ANY KIND OF RELIEF OR CANCELLATION OF REMOVAL.

SO, WHAT WE SENT IN A REQUEST WITH TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IN QUEENS IS THAT --ASKING IF THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO NEGOTIATE WITH US TO AT LEAST TAKE THAT BAIL JUMPING FROM A FELONY AND DROP IT DOWN FROM A MISDEMEANOR.

IF IT IS DROPPED DOWN TO AT LEAST A MISDEMEANOR, IT ALLOWS US SOME OPPORTUNITY TO REOPEN HIS REMOVAL ORDER IN IMMIGRATION COURT, REQUEST THE COURT TO THEN VACATE IT AND IF ALL THOSE CONVICTIONS ARE VACATED, AND THE REMOVAL ORDER IS VACATED, THEN THERE'S POSSIBLY A PATHWAY FOR HIM TO COME BACK TO THE UNITED STATES.

>> THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH FOR SPEAKING WITH US TODAY.

>> THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

>> COMPLICATED SAGA, INDEED.

>>> AND FINALLY TONIGHT, ENGLAND'S FOOTBALL FANS ARE OVERTHE MOON, AFTER THE WOMEN'S TEAM HERE PROUDLY CALLED THE LIONESSES FOUGHT HARD TO DEFEND THEIR TITLE AND ARE NOW HEADING TO THE EUROS FINAL THIS SUNDAY.

OVER 10 MILLION VIEWERS, MEN AND WOMEN, TUNED IN TO WATCH THE CURRENT REIGNING CHAMPIONS PULL OFF A LAST-MINUTE VICTORY, PROVING ONCE AND MORE ALL THAT WOMEN'S FOOTBALL IS HERE TO STAY.

THEY EVEN GOT A MESSAGE OF SUPPORT FROM THE KING AND QUEEN, AND ANOTHER FEMALE POWERHOUSE PLAYING THE LONG GAME, TENNIS STAR VENUS WILLIAMS, WHO BECAME THE OLDEST WOMAN TO WIN A TOUR LEVEL SINGLES MATCH IN 20 YEARS.

THE 45-YEAR-OLD KEEPS NOTCHING UP THOSE MILESTONES.

>>> AND THAT IS IT FOR OUR PROGRAM TONIGHT.

IF YOU WANT TO FIND OUT WHAT'S COMING UP EVERY NIGHT, SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER AT PBS.ORG/AMANPOUR.

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING, AND GOOD-BYE FROM LONDON.

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