From Anchor Desk to ICE Detention: Former TV Newsman Arrested in Las Vegas

From reading the news to becoming the news, a former local TV news anchor found himself on the wrong side of the camera last week when he was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Las Vegas.

Ho-Yin Mo, who previously worked in front of the camera as an anchor and reporter for San Francisco's KTSF, a prominent Chinese-language television station, was taken into federal custody at Harry Reid International Airport.

While recent headlines have focused on his pivot into politics—most recently working as a staffer for California Democratic Assemblywoman Catherine Stefani and previously doing outreach for former San Francisco Mayor London Breed’s reelection campaign, the anchor-turned-political-operative's media background is taking center stage.

According to Department of Homeland Security officials, Mo legally entered the U.S. on a temporary basis back in January 2020, but allegedly overstayed his welcome when he failed to depart by May of that year. Federal officials noted that having a pending application or work authorization does not confer legal status.

Now, instead of delivering the headlines from the anchor chair, this former TV newsman is making headlines of his own, and not the kind any journalist wants to write.