Khaby Lame, the most-followed TikToker in the world, has reportedly left the U.S. after being detained by immigration officials at a Las Vegas airport.
What led to his detainment, according to officials?
Lame, who has more than 162 million followers on TikTok, was reportedly stopped by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Friday, June 6, at Harry Reid International Airport. Officials say he had overstayed his visa after visiting the U.S. for events, including last month’s Met Gala.
According to ICE, the 25-year-old Senegalese-born Italian citizen was detained but allowed to leave the country without a deportation order.
“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 to NPR.
Lame’s path to Italian citizenship has made headlines before. Although he’s lived in Italy since he was one year old, he only became a citizen in 2022—shortly after telling local media that he still hadn’t been granted official status despite being the most popular TikToker in the world at the time.
Now, his run-in with immigration comes as the U.S. ramps up enforcement efforts under President Trump’s second term. That includes recent ICE raids in Los Angeles, which triggered widespread protests.
What do netizens think about the situation?
Under a Reddit post about the news, people were baffled by the situation.
“So they caught someone at the airport leaving, and told him to leave. Good job,” one person joked.
“He’s about to make so many videos about ICE and their LA clown show…” another said.
“Really tackling the existential threats to society, huh?” someone else added.
“‘Overstayed the terms of his visa’ — why is anyone surprised? Isn’t that what’s supposed to happen?” a fourth asked.
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