Amos Yee deported from US, to face Singapore court over national service offences

Singaporean blogger Amos Yee, 27, was deported from the United States on 19 March 2026 and is expected to appear in a Singapore court on the morning of Friday, 20 March 2026, to face charges under the Enlistment Act, according to reports by The Straits Times and CNA.

A representative from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed to The Straits Times by telephone on the morning of 20 March that Yee "was removed from the US" on 19 March, Singapore time. His record was expunged from the ICE website on the same day. His appearance on 20 March was listed on the State Courts portal.

The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) had previously confirmed in November 2025 that Yee would face prosecution upon return.

He is accused of failing to report for a pre-enlistment medical screening and remaining outside Singapore without a valid exit permit. Both offences under the Enlistment Act carry penalties of up to three years' imprisonment, a fine of up to S$10,000, or both.

Deportation papers and transfer trail

According to a post on a blog maintained by Yee's supporters, he signed his deportation papers on 12 February 2026. His removal from the US could have taken place at any point in the nine months following that date.

In the days leading up to his deportation, Yee was transferred through multiple ICE facilities. He was initially held at the Dodge Detention Facility in Wisconsin after ICE took him into custody in November 2025. He was subsequently moved to the Miami Correctional Facility in Indiana, which serves as an ICE detention centre.

On 16 March, he was transferred to the Clay County Justice Center, also in Indiana. By 18 March, he had been moved to the Broadview Service Staging Area in Illinois, a facility located approximately 17 minutes' drive from Chicago O'Hare International Airport.

National service default

Yee entered the United States in December 2016 and applied for asylum, citing political persecution arising from his prior convictions in Singapore.

A US immigration judge granted his application in March 2018, despite opposition from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS). He was released from ICE detention in September of that year.

MINDEF had stated earlier that Yee's failure to report for his pre-enlistment screening and his prolonged unauthorised absence overseas would result in prosecution in accordance with Singapore law.

US criminal convictions

Yee's period in the United States was marked by a serious criminal conviction unrelated to his asylum claim. In October 2020, he was indicted by a grand jury in Illinois for solicitation and possession of child pornography.

Court proceedings established that Yee had exchanged nude photographs and messages with a 14-year-old girl from Texas while he was living in Chicago. A judge found that he had used WhatsApp to solicit and lure the victim, who had made her age known to him, and had distributed photographs of her online.

Yee pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced on 2 December 2021 to six years' imprisonment, backdated to the date of his arrest.

Parole violations and ICE detention

Yee was granted parole on 7 October 2023, less than halfway through his sentence, but was returned to custody approximately one month later for violating parole conditions. The specific reason for his re-arrest was not publicly confirmed, though it is believed to relate to breaches of his parole terms.

Those conditions included restrictions on internet use, which required prior approval from the state corrections department, and a prohibition on being in proximity to locations where children were present, unless the department permitted it.

Yee was granted parole a second time on 20 November 2025 upon his release from the Danville Correctional Center in Illinois. He was transferred into ICE custody barely a week later.

In December 2025, the US Department of Homeland Security included Yee in a public database titled "Worst of the Worst," which listed over 10,000 individuals facing deportation for serious criminal convictions. Yee was identified as the only Singaporean on the list.

Attempts to resist deportation

Prior to signing the deportation papers, blog posts attributed to Yee and published by his supporters in early February 2026 included an open letter addressed to the Singapore government in which he argued against his repatriation. He claimed he would face imprisonment upon return and threatened political disruption if sent back.

In one passage, he stated: "Why… risk jeopardising that comfortable political position by letting me back in Singapore?"

Singapore confirmed throughout the proceedings that it would accept his return. With deportation now completed, Yee is expected to face the Singapore court on Friday morning.

Prior Singapore convictions

Yee first came to public attention in 2015 when he was convicted and imprisoned in Singapore for wounding religious feelings through remarks targeting Christians.

He was convicted again approximately a year later on a similar charge involving remarks about both Christians and Muslims, and received a further custodial sentence and fine.

These convictions were central to his asylum application in the United States.