World's biggest TikTok star Khaby Lame leaves the US after being detained for overstaying his visa
Khaby Lame, the world's most popular TikTok personality, has left the US after being detained by immigration agents in Las Vegas for allegedly overstaying his visa.
The Senegalese-Italian influencer, whose legal name is Seringe Khabane Lame, was detained on Friday at Harry Reid International Airport - but was allowed to leave the country without a deportation order, a spokesperson for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed in a statement.
Lame arrived in the US on April 30 and 'overstayed the terms of his visa', the ICE spokesperson said.
He has so far not publicly commented on his detainment.
Khaby Lame rose to international fame during the pandemic without ever saying a word in his videos, which would show him reacting to absurdly complicated 'life hacks'.
He has more than 162 million followers on TikTok alone.
The Senegal-born influencer moved to Italy when he was an infant with his working class parents and has Italian citizenship.
His internet fame quickly evolved. He signed a multiyear partnership with designer brand Hugo Boss in 2022. In January, he was appointed as a Unicef goodwill ambassador.
Last month, he attended the Met Gala in New York City, days after arriving in the US, where he wore a three piece suit with well over a dozen timepieces attached to his vest.
Yesterday, one of Barron Trump's supposed best friends has claimed he was responsible for getting Lame deported.
Bo Loudon, a Gen Z MAGA influencer who's previously been pictured with Barron and Donald Trump, said he reported Khaby Lame to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Loudon's first post on X came June 6 when he wrote that Lame is an 'illegal alien ' in all caps before proclaiming that he has 'been working with the patriots at President Trump's DHS' to deport the Senegal-born influencer.
Loudon, 18, claimed that Lame was detained at Henderson Detention Center, southeast of Las Vegas proper, though its unclear how long he may have been in custody before leaving.
He made a post Wednesday afternoon denouncing various media outlets' coverage of this incident, who reportedly called him a 'rat' and a 'rat extraordinaire'.
'Why? Because I helped President Trump's DHS deport TikTok's biggest star, Khaby Lame, for being in the U.S. illegally,' he added.
'I wish Khaby well and hope he returns as a LAW-ABIDING citizen.'
His detainment and voluntary departure from the US comes amid President Donald Trump 's escalating crackdown on immigration, including raids in Los Angeles that sparked days of protests against ICE, as the president tests the bounds of his executive authority.
A voluntary departure - which was granted to Lame - allows those facing removal from the US to avoid a deportation order on their immigration record, which could prevent them from being allowed back into the US for up to a decade.
But many, including British citizens, haven't been afforded that luxury.
British backpacker Rebecca Burke, 28, was on a 'once in a lifetime' solo travelling trip across the US and Canada when she was handcuffed while trying to cross the Canadian border on February 26.
She spent nearly three weeks behind bars 5,000 miles from home at a detention centre in Tacoma, Washington, where she is said to have survived on a diet of cold rice, potatoes and beans.
Burke was eventually released on March 18, and later warned others to not even bother going to the US.
She told the Guardian following her release: 'First, because of the danger of what could happen to you. And, secondly, do you really want to give your money to this country right now?
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