Singapore teen granted asylum released from US custody

On September 26, 2017, a Singaporean teenager was released from United States custody after the Board of Immigration Appeals upheld a decision granting him political asylum. The ruling, finalized on September 21, affirmed a prior decision by Chicago Immigration Judge Samuel B. Cole.

The teenager had been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement while the Department of Homeland Security appealed the initial asylum ruling. Government attorneys argued that the youth’s case did not constitute persecution based on political beliefs. However, Judge Cole ruled that the teenager’s social media posts, though offensive to many, did not justify denying asylum, finding that the youth had a well-founded fear of persecution if returned to Singapore.

In Singapore, the teenager had faced prosecution for his online activities, which included posting a video critical of the country’s late Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, shortly after his death. The youth also pleaded guilty to charges related to online comments critical of Christianity and Islam. For these actions, he was sentenced to six weeks in jail and spent a total of 55 days confined between a prison and a mental health facility. Critics at the time stated that his detention highlighted restrictions on free speech in Singapore.

Following his release, his attorney noted that the government had presented no evidence that the teenager posed a threat to public safety. Under United States law, he will be eligible to apply for a green card after residing in the country for more than a year.