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.
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