Josh Lee Update 12/6/12

Jenn Cohen | December 6, 2012 | 0 Comments

by Jenn Cohen

Approximately two years ago, Denver’s beloved musical virtuoso, Josh Lee, “unknowingly pled guilty to criminal charges that would ultimately put me in violation of immigration law, making me immediately deportable from the United States, back to my birthplace, South Korea. Thankfully, I was able to withdraw the original plea from Arapahoe County; and I pled guilty to a different charge that does not make me immediately deportable, in exchange for serving 90 days at Arapahoe County Jail.”

As part of the new plea agreement, the felony charge was dropped, “largely due to the enormous amount of support and love that I’ve received from the Denver music community, which I am more than grateful for. Clearly, I have the best friends a man could ask for. Movie directors or writers [can] create stories about groups of people taking on the world, or government, in order to save their friend. Those are MY friends; I’ve lived it.”

Lee is due for immediate transportation to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after his release from Arapahoe County on 12/26/12. He is still in the process of deportation proceedings, with a court date scheduled for April 2013. “I’m not entirely sure how long I’ll be held at ICE, could be a couple of days, maybe a few weeks. Residency approvals can take up to 1,800 days. I’m still facing deportation, but I choose to remain hopeful.”

Currently half way through his sentence, Lee was recently moved to a “Trustee Pod,” which increased his visitation hours and freedom to roam around the cellblocks.

While Lee’s birthplace is South Korea, Lee is very passionate that, “[America] is my home, my country, my land. The government can try and convince me that I don’t belong here, label me a ‘stranger’ to this country, but I’ve got an entire community behind me to say otherwise. I will be buried here in the Rockies before even thinking about leaving it all behind and moving to country that is truly ‘strange’ to me.”

We continue to support Josh and are thinking of him and his family during this uncertain time.