Teen Blogger Detained at O'Hare As He Seeks Asylum in United States

CHICAGO, IL — A teen blogger from Singapore accused of making online comments that "hurt the feelings of Christians and Muslims" in his home nation is seeking political asylum in the United States after arriving at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago.

Amos Yee, 18, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Chicago on Dec. 16, U.S. officials confirmed on Saturday, and he's been in custody ever since. His mother, Mary Toh, confirmed on Friday in Facebook comments: “Amos is being detained in the US right now. He is seeking political asylum in the US. The matter is now with his lawyers. I will not be speaking to the press or anyone on this matter.”

"Federal immigration and court proceedings" for Yee are pending, ICE said in a statement. It appears he entered the country on a tourist visa, according comments his American lawyer, Sandra Grossman, made to the South China Morning Post, though he came to the U.S. seeking asylum.

A Singapore judge described Yee, a former child actor-turned-moviemaker and blogger, as "contemptuous" and said his comments about the state of government and justice in Singapore should "not be tolerated."

Here is a sample of what Yee says about his home nation and the "despots" who rule in a YouTube video titled "Singapore is Really Bad Country." The video was posted in May 2016, a year after his trial.

(Advisory: some profane language can be heard.)

» see more of Amos Yee's video commentary on his YouTube channel

Yee, 16 at the time, was put on trial in May 2015 for "using offensive and insulting words and profane gestures" about Lee Kuan Yew, the prime minister of Singapore, made in March 2015 just after his death. Altogether, the teen served 10 weeks in prison.

Amnesty International considers Yee to be a "prisoner of conscience." Human Rights Watch has called on the United States to grant Yee asylum.

“Nothing that Amos Yee said or posted should ever have been considered criminal – much less merit incarceration,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch, in a statement on the agency's website. “The dismal state of Singapore’s respect for free expression can be seen in the decision to impose the criminal justice system on outspoken 16-year-olds.”

Yee's father, Alphonsus Yee, is a computer engineer, and his mother, Mary Toh, is a math teacher. The teen, who received high marks in school, was raised Catholic but now considers himself atheist. At the age of 13, he won awards for acting and filmmaking in Singapore.

U.S. immigration officials must interview Yee to determine whether there is a "credible fear" of persecution in his home country. Then, he would go before an immigration court.

"Amos Yee is the sort of classic political dissident that the U.N. Refugee Convention was designed to protect, and Human Rights Watch hopes the U.S. will recognize his asylum claim," Human Rights Watch said in a statement.

photo: Amos Yee YouTube channel