Utah violinist detained by ICE on wife’s birthday released on bond

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The professional violinist who was taken into custody by ICE in Colorado last month has posted bond.

John Shin, 37, was detained by ICE while on a work trip in Colorado on August 20, 2025. Since then, he has been held at the Aurora, CO, ICE detention center. According to his attorney, Adam Crayk, Shin posted bond and is set to be released today.

Shin immigrated from South Korea on a visa as a child. He graduated from Utah State University and is now a professional violinist who has played with the Utah Symphony and Ballet West.

Reportedly, ICE arrested Shin because he had a previous impaired driving charge. In 2019, he was charged with DUI, but resolved it with an impaired driving charge in 2020. Crayk says Shin has since completed probation, treatment classes, and all other requirements of his charge.

Shin also had a valid driver’s license at the time of his arrest.

“The problem that you have, though, is as someone who is coming to the United States and who doesn’t currently have proper documentation because when you get a DUI, DACA gets taken — immigration will not let you have DACA with a DUI,” Crayk said at the time of Shin’s arrest. “He becomes a priority, especially under the current administration — so, he was taken into ICE custody because he accepted and did an agreement in Tooele County for an impaired driver, which caused ICE to take him into custody.”

Shin is expected to return to Utah and to his family today or tomorrow.