Ho-Yin Mo, a staffer in Assemblymember Catherine Stefani’s San Francisco office, was released Friday after more than two weeks in ICE custody. An immigration judge granted his release on bond, but Mo still faces deportation to Hong Kong.

Mo was detained Sept. 17 during a layover at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas and later held in Pahrump, Nevada. The Department of Homeland Security said he entered the United States legally on a temporary basis in 2020 but overstayed. His attorney said the administration has placed people in deportation proceedings while they were lawfully pursuing immigration status.

Stefani traveled to Las Vegas to meet Mo after his release. Mo said he was eager to return to work serving San Francisco residents. A former television anchor, he has worked in Stefani’s district office since January 2025, helping constituents access benefits and interpreting Cantonese and Mandarin.