LAS VEGAS — Khaby Lame, the Italian-Senegalese internet sensation and the most-followed creator on TikTok, has been deported from the United States for allegedly overstaying his visa, U.S. immigration officials confirmed.
According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the 25-year-old influencer was detained last Friday at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. ICE stated that Lame had entered the country on April 30 and remained beyond the permitted period of his visa.
Lame, renowned for his signature silent reactions to overly complicated “life hack” videos, has amassed over 160 million followers on TikTok and secured numerous international brand deals, including a Hollywood film role and a reality series, Khaby Is Coming to America, which aired on Tubi.
News of his deportation triggered a wave of reactions online, with some expressing shock and others praising the enforcement action. Conservative Gen Z commentator Bo Loudon took to X (formerly Twitter) claiming partial credit for the deportation, alleging that Lame was “an illegal alien evading taxes” and asserting that he had worked with former President Donald Trump’s ICE to facilitate the removal.
Lame has not yet released an official statement, but he posted an Instagram Story on Monday tagged in São Paulo, Brazil, marking his first public location since leaving the U.S.
His former attorney, Riccardo Lanzo, told The New York Times that while Lame had spent extended periods in the U.S., the exact terms and validity of his visa remained unclear.
As of now, it remains uncertain whether Lame will seek to reenter the United States or take legal steps to address his immigration status.
