Italian-Senegalese social media star Khaby Lame, the world’s most followed TikTok creator, has been deported from the United States after allegedly overstaying his visa, The New York Times reported.
Lame, 25, was reportedly detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last Friday at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. ICE confirmed the detention in an official statement, noting that Lame entered the U.S. on April 30 but had “overstayed the terms of his visa.”
The silent comedian skyrocketed to global fame with his signature deadpan reactions to overly complicated “life hack” videos. With more than 160 million followers on TikTok, Lame has become a global digital icon, collaborating with major fashion houses, landing a Hollywood film role, and starring in a reality show titled Khaby Is Coming to America on the streaming platform Tubi.
News of his deportation has triggered a wave of reactions online, with both fans and political figures weighing in. Among the most vocal was Bo Loudon, a Gen Z Trump supporter and self-proclaimed activist, who posted on X (formerly Twitter): “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.”
Lame has not released a formal statement regarding his deportation. However, he posted an Instagram Story on Monday tagged in São Paulo, Brazil — his first confirmed location since leaving the U.S.
Riccardo Lanzo, Lame’s former legal representative, told The New York Times that while the influencer had spent considerable time in the U.S. recently, his current visa status was unclear.
The incident comes amid a broader immigration enforcement campaign under former President Donald Trump’s renewed administration, which has pledged to intensify border and visa oversight.
