Korean American researcher held at airport for weeks over decade-old weed conviction

A 40-year-old scientist and legal permanent resident has been detained by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection at San Francisco International Airport since July 21. Tae Heung “Will” Kim, who has lived in the U.S. since age 5, was returning from his brother’s wedding in South Korea when agents cited a 2011 misdemeanor marijuana conviction as grounds for his detention. Kim is a Ph.D. student at Texas A&M University developing a vaccine for Lyme disease.