Related Articles
Khaby Lame, the most-followed TikToker in the world, was detained and released by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on June 6. On Monday, an ICE spokesperson confirmed that the Italian-Senegalese starhad been detained at Las Vegas airport for alleged immigration violations.
According to ICE, the 25-year-old TikToker, whose real name is Seringe Khabane Lame, had “overstayed the terms of his visa” and was later granted voluntary departure.
“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,” an ICE spokesperson said in a statement. “Lame entered the United States [on] April 30 and overstayed the terms of his visa.”
According to ICE, Lame has since left the country. The influencer shared a photo of himself in São Paulo, Brazil, on Monday morning. A rep for Lame did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone‘s request for comment.
The detainment of Lame comes as the Trump administration called for the military to be deployed against anti-ICE protests inLos Angeles. The protests, which began in response to raids on Friday, escalated over the weekend after Trumpordered the deploymentof National Guard troops into the city.
Gov. Gavin Newsom requestedon Sunday that Trump revoke his federalization of the National Guard and withdraw them from the city. “The decision to deploy the National Guard, without appropriate training or orders, risks seriously escalating the situation,” he wrote.“There is currently no need for the National Guard to be deployed in Los Angeles, and to do so in this unlawful manner and for such a lengthy period is a serious breach of state sovereignty that seems intentionally designed to inflame the situation.”
Lame’s detainment also comes as numerous artists and celebrities have faced visa issues under the Trump administration, including Grupo Firme and Julión Álvarez.
