The White House has mounted a forceful defense of ICE’s arrest of a well-known California legislative staffer from Hong Kong, while condemning the state lawmaker’s decision to employ him.
Ho-Yin Mo, a field representative for Democratic California Assemblywoman Catherine Stefani and a former anchor at a San Francisco Chinese-language television station, now faces possible deportation. He was detained last week during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas.
White House spokesperson Lauren Bis called the situation “outrageous” in an exclusive statement to the Daily Mail on Wednesday, referring to Mo as an “illegal alien” employed by a member of the California State Assembly.
“This takes sanctuary city to a whole new level,” Bis said. “Radical Democrats continue to prioritize illegal aliens over American citizens — even employing illegal aliens to work in their political offices.”
Before the arrest became national news, Stefani’s office and Mo’s attorney had reportedly been working through private channels to seek his release. Those efforts changed after the Daily Mail first reported his detention on Tuesday.
Stefani, a vocal critic of ICE who represents California’s 19th District, including parts of San Francisco and San Mateo County, subsequently adopted a more public approach and issued what she described as a respectful plea for leniency.
“My message today is simple: I am respectfully calling for Ho Yin Mo’s release as soon as possible,” Stefani said.
“Ho Yin is a selfless public servant and a valued, legal employee of the California State Legislature serving our San Francisco and Bay Area communities.”
Ho-Yin Mo, a former anchor and reporter for KTSF Channel 26, a Chinese-language station in San Francisco, was arrested Thursday during an ICE operation at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas.
California Assemblywoman Catherine Stefani urged authorities to release her staffer Ho-Yin Mo after his ICE arrest, describing him as “a selfless public servant and a valued, legal employee.”
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors also appealed for Mo’s release, saying he has served as “an especially important point of contact for San Francisco’s Chinese American communities.”
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed to the Daily Mail early Tuesday that ICE had detained Mo, identifying him as an “illegal alien from Hong Kong” arrested during a targeted enforcement action.
According to Homeland Security, Mo entered the United States legally on January 13, 2020, but remained after his temporary permission expired. The agency said he failed to leave by the May 15, 2020 deadline.
“Work authorization or a pending application do NOT confer legal status in the United States,” the agency said.
DHS also said it had reversed what it characterized as a “horrendous Biden-era policy” that permitted people in the country unlawfully to travel by air within the United States.
“Under President Trump, DHS will no longer tolerate this,” the department said. “This administration is working diligently to ensure that aliens in our country illegally can no longer fly unless it is out of our country to self-deport.”
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Frankie Falzon, Stefani’s district director, initially declined to discuss the case when contacted by the Daily Mail early Tuesday. He said the team had been advised by legal counsel that speaking publicly would not be in Mo’s best interest.
“We’re trying to work through as many channels as possible now,” Falzon said, adding that Mo’s attorney was meeting him for the first time at the Nevada Southern Detention Center in Pahrump, west of Las Vegas.
Ho-Yin Mo serves as a field representative for Assemblywoman Catherine Stefani and is expected to remain in custody while removal proceedings continue.
Once the arrest became public, the situation shifted dramatically, prompting Stefani to make a direct public appeal for support.
‘When Ho Yin and I meet our Chinese-American constituents, he brings a unique sense of belonging to so many who watched him as a TV reporter,’ she stated. ‘And his work goes far beyond presence.
‘Ho Yin helps people access affordable health care coverage, child care, and food support,’ she added. ‘Our whole community eagerly awaits Ho Yin’s return to his home and his job where he is loved and adored.’
Mo is a former news anchor and reporter for KTSF Channel 26 in San Francisco.
He also served on London Breed’s failed mayoral re-election campaign in 2024 as an Asian American and Pacific Islander outreach organizer.
Stefani, who has been an outspoken critic of ICE’s crackdown on illegal immigration, was among those calling for her staffer’s release from custody
‘When we heard that Mo was available, we jumped at the opportunity to hire him, because we know that his profile on KTSF really resonates with a lot of individuals, and his background and his experience,’ Breed spokesperson Joe Arellano said at the time of Mo’s hiring.
Mo has worked for Stefani since January 2025, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Stefani, meanwhile, has been an outspoken critic of ICE’s crackdown on illegal immigration.
In an article in the San Francisco Chronicle last October, the Democrat gave a statement ridiculing an ICE crackdown in the Bay Area, calling it an abuse of power and direct threat to the community.
‘It is about fear and control,’ Stefani was quoted as saying.
‘We must remain peaceful, united and vigilant. This administration wants chaos. We will answer with strength, solidarity and resolve.’
Mo is expected to remain in custody pending the outcome of removal proceedings.