Giants Star’s Immigration Detainment Not ‘Anything Political’ Per Agent

A San Francisco Giants star had trouble getting back into the U.S. when he traveled from his home in Asia.

A baseball cap celebrating armed forces weekend is seen before the game between the San Francisco Giants and the Colorado Rockies at Oracle Park. | Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee’s trip back to the United States proved more eventful than he expected.

Lee was briefly detained at Los Angeles International Airport on Wednesday as he entered the U.S. on a flight from Korea. Given the current climate in the U.S. around immigration, the detainment drew quick headlines, but it was resolved quickly and not politically motivated, per his agent Scott Boras.

“I’m not sure what was lacking but it was something with the proper paperwork. I think he just forgot one of the documents,” Boras told the San Francisco Chronicle (subscription required) among the many outlets that reported the news.

Jung Hoo Lee Returns to the U.S.

Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Per CBS News, he was detained for "forgetting documents in Korea," according to the office of former House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi. She represents a district that includes San Francisco. Her office became involved in working through the issue that eventually led to Lee’s release. A Giants spokesperson told CBS that his detainment was a "brief travel issue at LAX due to a paperwork issue."

Lee was returning to the U.S. to participate in Giants Fan Fest activities this weekend. San Francisco held a Fan Fest event in San Jose last weekend that included manager Tony Vitello, who made one of his first appearances with fans since taking the job in November.

Lee’s arrival comes at a time when MLB players are gearing up for spring training, which includes the Giants, who will report to Scottsdale, Ariz., in February.

Along with spring training, Lee — who was born in Japan but is of Korean descent — will play for Team Korea in the World Baseball Classic in March. He played for the team in 2023, and it is attempting to get out of pool play for the first time since 2009. He has considerable international experience, including playing in the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Lee signed a six-year, $113 million deal with the Giants out of Korea before the 2024 season. He missed most of that season due to an injury but returned in 2025 to play 150 games. He slashed .266/.327/.407 with eight home runs and 55 RBI while playing in center field nearly every day.

His contract was the most for a Korean-born position player and he was one of the most decorated players in the KBO before his arrival. He was a rookie of the year, an MVP, a five-time Gold Glove winner and a six-time KBO all-star with the Kiwoom Heroes.