TikTok Star Khaby Lame Deported From US Amid Immigration Controversy

Khaby Lame, the Italian-Senegalese internet personality and the most-followed creator on TikTok, has been deported from the United States after overstaying his visa, The New York Times reported.

According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the 25-year-old influencer was taken into custody last Friday at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. In an official statement, ICE explained that Lame had arrived in the U.S. on April 30 but remained in the country beyond the authorized duration of his visa.

Lame gained global recognition through his viral, wordless reactions to overly elaborate “life hack” videos. With more than 160 million followers on TikTok, his rise to fame has included partnerships with major brands, a role in a Hollywood film, and a reality series titled Khaby Is Coming To America, which aired on Tubi.

The news of his deportation quickly made waves across social media, fueling widespread discussion and generating mixed reactions.

Among the most vocal responses was conservative commentator and self-proclaimed Gen Z Trump supporter Bo Loudon, who asserted his involvement in the incident. Writing on X (formerly Twitter), Loudon stated, “Every single illegal alien needs to be DEPORTED. When I found out the biggest TikTok star, Khaby Lame, is an illegal alien evading taxes, I worked with Trump’s ICE to have him removed. He’s since been detained by ICE and removed.”

Although Lame has yet to release an official statement regarding the situation, he posted an Instagram Story on Monday tagged in São Paulo, Brazil—his first confirmed location following his departure from the United States.

Speaking to The New York Times, his former attorney Riccardo Lanzo acknowledged that while Lame had spent significant time in the U.S., “there were uncertainties regarding the specifics of his visa status.”