Khaby Lame, TikTok's Top Star, Detained by ICE in Las Vegas
Social media star Khaby Lame was detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after being apprehended by authorities on June 6.
According to an ICE spokesperson, Lame was granted a 'voluntary departure' and has left the United States. The viral TikTok sensation's Instagram Story showed him in Brazil as of Monday (June 9).
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The 25-year-old (full name: Seringe Khabane Lame) reportedly came to the U.S. on April 30 and 'overstayed the terms of his visa,' the ICE rep said. Lame was arrested at the Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas for 'immigration violations.'
'U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained Seringe Khabane Lame, 25, a citizen of Italy, June 6, at the Harry Reid International Airport, Las Vegas, Nevada for immigration violations,' an ICE spokesperson relayed to Billboard. 'Lame entered the United States April 30 and overstayed the terms of his visa. Lame was granted voluntary departure June 6 and has since departed the U.S.'
Lame gained Italian citizenship in 2022 after moving from Senegal during his toddler years. He's yet to comment on the reported deportation on his social media accounts.
The content creator — who boasts north of 80 million followers on Instagram and more than 163 million followers on TikTok, making him the platform's most-followed star — attended the Met Gala in NYC in May and was named a UNICEF goodwill ambassador in January. In June 2022, Lame dethroned Charli D'Amelio atop the TikTok rankings and has held the spot ever since.
Reports of Lame's deportation come after an uptick in immigration-related raids from the Trump administration looking to crack down on undocumented immigrants in the United States.
Tensions reached a head over the weekend in Los Angeles, where Trump deployed the National Guard to control protests over mass deportations. Artists have spoken out in solidarity with the protesters and against ICE's actions, including Tyler, The Creator, The Game, Kehlani and Finneas.
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