Why TikTok star Khaby Lame was deported by ICE in LA
Getty Images Image credits: Getty Images
Khabane 'Khaby' Lame, the world's most-followed TikTok creator, was briefly detained by U.S. immigration authorities on Friday at Las Vegas' Harry Reid International Airport. The 25-year-old Italian-Senegalese influencer, who has over 162 million followers, had allegedly overstayed his visa, according to a statement from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
'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,' ICE said.
The statement further clarified that Lame entered the U.S. on 30 April and remained in the country beyond the terms of his visa. He was granted voluntary departure the same day and has since exited the United States.While Lame himself has not commented publicly, the news quickly gained traction online after Bo Loudon, a 17-year-old pro-Trump influencer, claimed responsibility for alerting authorities.'I discovered that he was an illegal who overstayed an invalid visa, evaded taxes, and I personally took action to have him deported,' Loudon wrote on X.
Loudon, who has posted extensively with Trump family members and identifies as a close friend of Barron Trump, said in an interview with streamer Dylan Page that he had contacted 'some buddies in the administration.''And I've never seen anything happen so quick,' he said.He further labelled Lame as a 'far-left influencer' who allegedly disliked Trump, although there is no public record of Lame making political statements. Loudon did not respond to The New York Times but directed them to the Page interview.Lame's detention comes amid renewed immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump, who returned to office in January. His administration has begun implementing a mass deportation campaign, parts of which are already facing legal challenges in U.S. courts.The timing of Lame's detention and the involvement of an openly partisan figure like Loudon have sparked debate about whether immigration laws are being used selectively against high-profile individuals—especially those who are politically neutral but globally influential.Born in Senegal in 2000, Lame moved to Chivasso, near Turin, Italy, at the age of one. He rose to fame in 2020 after losing his job as a factory mechanic during the COVID-19 pandemic. Spending time around his housing complex, he began uploading silent TikTok videos mocking overly complicated 'life hacks' with simple, visual responses.His signature move—palms up, with an expression of mock confusion—resonated worldwide. He overtook Charli D'Amelio in 2022 to become TikTok's most-followed user. Between June 2022 and September 2023, he earned up to $750,000 per post, with Forbes estimating his net worth at $16.5 million. He's worked with brands like Hugo Boss, Walmart, and Fortnite.Lame has also expanded beyond social media. He appeared in Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024), starred in the streaming series Khaby Is Coming to America, and was a judge on Italia's Got Talent. UNICEF named him a Goodwill Ambassador, and he was recently seen visiting shelters in Dakar, Senegal.He married Wendy Thembelihle Juel in 2023, although the couple reportedly separated in 2024.As of Tuesday, Lame had not issued a statement on his detention but continued posting content on Instagram, including a story from São Paulo, Brazil. His former lawyer, Riccardo Lanzo, confirmed that Lame had been spending considerable time in the United States but said he was not aware of the details of his visa.
The episode, brief as it was, reflects a new chapter in U.S. immigration enforcement where even the world's biggest online celebrities are not beyond scrutiny—and where politics and popularity are increasingly colliding at unexpected crossroads.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Robert Vadra ready to appear before ED, no intention to avoid summons: Lawyer
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra 's husband Robert Vadra has no intention of avoiding summons and is ready to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) anytime before or after his travel abroad later this month, his lawyer Suman Khaitan said on assertion came two days after Vadra failed to appear before the ED after he skipped the agency's summons on June 10 for questioning in a money laundering case linked to UK-based alleged arms consultant Sanjay the Wayanad MP's husband, was summoned by the probe agency to record his statement in the case on June 10 but could not appear as he had flu-like symptoms on June 9 and undertook a COVID test according to the health protocol, his lawyer said Vadra was ready to record his statement virtually but the agency did not accept the plea and wanted his physical presence to do the needful."My client Robert Vadra has been made aware of certain media reports that erroneously suggest that my Client has been avoiding ED summons. My client would like to bring the true facts to your attention and would like to state unequivocally that such media reports are completely untrue."Vadra has complied with all the ED summons, demands for information and documentation for the last ten years. He has repeatedly affirmed and demonstrated his full cooperation with the authorities and will continue his full cooperation as a law-abiding citizen of India," Khaitan said in a said Vadra received a summons to appear before the ED on June 10 in respect of a case in which he has already appeared before the agency on multiple occasions dating back to 2019 when he also filed voluminous documents."On 09.06.2025, he came down with flu-like symptoms and was advised to take a COVID-19 test . This is in keeping with the current practice being followed by many institutions including the PMO. Consequently, he informed the ED that he would not be able to attend proceedings in person on 10.06.2025."He also informed the ED that as a law-abiding citizen who is keen on clearing his name, he is happy to attend the proceedings in person as soon as he is medically cleared to do so. He also volunteered to attend proceedings virtually if the ED thought it necessary to carry them out immediately," Vadra's lawyer lawyer said Vadra is scheduled to travel abroad later this month to attend his daughter's college graduation ceremony."He (Vadra) is perfectly happy to attend proceedings at any other time before or after the trip just as he has already done several times," his counsel also claimed that he has also recently submitted voluminous documents and answered all the questions asked by ED in the past."Any attempt to suggest that Mr. Vadra's attendance of his daughter's graduation ceremony is some sort of ruse to avoid attending any proceedings is completely untrue, unacceptable and without any basis in fact. This is especially clear from the fact that all foreign travels by Mr. Vadra, are always with prior notice to and knowledge of ED and with the prior permission of the Court."It is a matter of record with ED that Mr. Vadra has regularly and repeatedly appeared before the ED whenever summoned and there is no basis or reason to even think that Mr Vadra will ever try to give any untrue reason while asking for time to appear before ED," his lawyer sources said Vadra had sought an adjournment of Tuesday's summons, and he will now be given a fresh date. The ED wants to record Vadra's statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and then file a charge sheet against him before the court, sources federal probe agency had questioned the 56-year-old businessman for three consecutive days in April in a separate money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in a 2008 land deal in (63) fled to London in 2016, soon after the Income Tax Department raided him in Delhi.A UK court earlier this month refused an application filed by the Indian government seeking permission to appeal in Britain's Supreme Court against the discharge of Bhandari in an extradition case, virtually ruling out chances of him being brought to the country to face the ED filed a charge sheet in this case in 2023, alleging that Bhandari acquired the 12, Bryanston Square house in London in 2009 and got it renovated "as per the directions of Robert Vadra, who provided the funds for the renovation".Vadra has denied that he owns any London property directly or the charges a "political witch hunt", Vadra has said he is being "hounded and harassed" to subserve political ends.
Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
Union Minister Ajay Tamta calls for push towards zero road fatalities
New Delhi: Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Ajay Tamta, on Thursday, stressed the urgent need to reduce road crash deaths in India. Speaking at the 'Dialogue to Action: National Summit on Vulnerable Road Users and Road Safety' here, he said, "The issue of road safety is very important, and we should work on ideas to reduce road fatalities." "The focus should be on working towards zero road fatalities," the Union Minister added. UN Special Envoy for Road Safety, Jen Todt, called road crashes a 'silent pandemic' and highlighted that more than 1.2 million people die globally in road accidents every year. In India alone, more than 1.54 lakh people died in 2021 due to road crashes. "Most of the people who die are young, daily commuters, and family breadwinners. India needs more than dialogue. It needs action. And it needs it now," he said. Amit Bhardwaj, Deputy Adviser at NITI Aayog, said that while India's national highways and two-wheelers have doubled in the last decade, infrastructure for safety has not kept pace. He suggested strict enforcement methods such as refusing fuel to riders not wearing helmets. He also said that poor bike design might be one reason many riders avoid wearing helmets. Bureau of Indian Standards Director, Mitra Sen Verma, said his department is ready to work with NGOs to take action against fake helmet makers and also promote road safety awareness in schools. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Consultant, Maharaj Singh, added that while the Centre can frame laws, state governments must take strong enforcement steps. He stressed the need for collaborative ideas and better implementation. Steelbird Hi-Tech's Managing Director Rajeev Kapur raised concern about the alarming number of fake helmets in the Indian market. "Around 95 per cent of licensed manufacturers are producing fake helmets. India needs 13 crore standard helmets, but only three crore are made by the organised sector," he said, also proposing an investment plan worth Rs 6,000 crore to fix the issue and create jobs. Manoranjan Parida, Director of CSIR-CSIR-Central Road Research Institute, said India had committed to reducing road crashes by 50 per cent by 2030, but the current trend is worrying. He proposed creating separate lanes for two-wheelers, like in Vietnam and Malaysia, and urged Bollywood and the media to promote road safety. B. Mohammed Asheel from the World Health Organisation praised India's laws on paper but noted a gap in real-world implementation. He said that road crash deaths are now double those caused by infectious diseases and called for a public movement similar to what was seen during Covid-19. TRAX President Anurag Kulshrestha highlighted that more than 65 per cent of road deaths involve vulnerable road users like bikers and pedestrians. He noted that most of these deaths are preventable and blamed substandard helmets and poor enforcement as major concerns.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Bo Loudon, Barron Trump's best friend, says he got ICE to detain TikTok star Khaby Lame, sparks fury
Bo Loudon, who says he is Barron Trump 's best friend, claims he caused the arrest of TikTok star Khaby Lame. Khaby Lame is a very famous TikTok creator known worldwide. Bo Loudon said he 'personally took action' to have Khaby deported from the U.S., as per the report. Loudon wrote on X that he worked with President Trump's Department of Homeland Security to make this happen. He said Khaby Lame was arrested in Las Vegas and taken into ICE custody. A community note on Loudon's post said his information was false, according to the report by Yahoo News. ICE said Khaby Lame was stopped at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas on June 6 because he did not follow visa rules. Khaby Lame entered the U.S. on April 30 on a temporary visa. After his arrest, ICE said Khaby was given 'voluntary departure' and has left the U.S. Bo Loudon claimed that President Trump's administration works very fast to handle such cases. ICE has not publicly said anything about Bo Loudon's role and refused to comment further when asked, as per The Independent report. Who is Khaby Lame and Bo Loudon? Khaby Lame's real name is Serigne Khabane Lame. He is Senegalese-Italian. Khaby became famous for his simple, funny reaction videos on TikTok, with over 162 million went to the Met Gala in New York City on May 5 during his stay in the U.S. Khaby has not spoken publicly about overstaying his visa or his arrest, according to reports. Live Events It's unclear if Khaby went back to Italy right after leaving the U.S., because he posted an Instagram Story from São Paulo, Brazil. Bo Loudon and Barron Trump, both very young and not even 18 yet, were unofficially asked to help President Trump reach young male voters before the 2024 election, as mentioned in the report by The Independent. Bo Loudon lives in Palm Beach, Florida. He is the son of Dr. Gina Loudon is a conservative TV expert who helped lead Women for Trump in 2020. His father is John Loudon, a former Missouri state senator. FAQs Q1. Who is Bo Loudon? He is a young influencer and friend of Barron Trump, linked to conservative politics. Q2. Was Khaby Lame detained by ICE and why? Yes, Khaby Lame was detained for breaking U.S. visa rules and was later allowed to leave voluntarily.
