The U.S. government has issued a “voluntary deportation” order for TikTok star Khaby Lame, who has the highest number of followers on the platform globally. While he was in Las Vegas, Nevada, the 25-year-old was made to leave the United States immediately due to immigration and visa-related issues, according to media reports.
Lame, who was born in Senegal and raised in Italy, was briefly detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on June 6 at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas for allegedly overstaying his U.S. visa. U.S. immigration authorities have confirmed that Lame had remained in the country beyond the validity of his visa and have granted him permission for “voluntary departure.”
Loudon, who describes himself as a “patriot,” stated that after learning about Lame’s visa status, he alerted immigration officials, calling Lame a “far-left illegal alien” (meaning a “radical communist alien”). He also posted what appeared to be a screenshot of ICE’s “Detainee Locator” on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). However, questions have been raised about the authenticity of the screenshot.
Lame’s supporters have pointed out that he entered the U.S. on April 30 and suggested there may have been a lack of clear understanding regarding his visa conditions.
The U.S. immigration authorities have not clarified whether Bo Loudon’s tip played any role in Lame’s arrest. However, the timing coincidence between Loudon’s social media post and Lame’s detention has sparked widespread debate.
While reports of Lame’s arrest surfaced, U.S. immigration officials stated that he was briefly detained and later allowed to leave the country voluntarily.
This is not the first incident where high-profile social media figures have faced immigration enforcement actions.
The news outlet Newsweek reported that Lame’s arrest and subsequent removal have drawn significant attention, especially amid violent anti-immigration protests in various parts of California, near Las Vegas, where the National Guard was deployed.
Lame became internationally famous during the COVID-19 pandemic by silently trolling small and big aspects of human life through his videos. His silent expressions and simple style made him viral and a star on social media. Currently, he has over 160 million followers on TikTok. He has also worked with celebrities like Will Smith and Tom Cruise. This year, he was appointed as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and traveled to the United States to participate in events such as those with Met Gala.
