Overview
- Ho Yin Mo was taken into ICE custody at Harry Reid International Airport on Sept. 17 during a targeted enforcement operation and was held in a Nevada detention facility before his release.
- Assemblymember Catherine Stefani said an immigration judge granted bond and Mo was freed, but ICE and the Department of Homeland Security have not publicly explained the mechanics of the release.
- Local leaders including Mayor Daniel Lurie and all 11 members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors sent letters urging Mo’s release and framed him as a longtime community public servant.
- Federal officials say Mo lawfully entered the U.S. in 2020 but later overstayed his visa and stressed that work authorization or a pending application does not by itself prevent removal; his case remains pending.
- Supporters have organized fundraising to cover legal costs and the case highlights the broader policy push to step up airport enforcement and the real-world effects on community-serving immigrants.