Khaby Lame Detained by ICE: What to Know

A social media star detained by federal immigration officers has voluntarily left the United States, officials have said.

Khaby Lame, who has more than 160 million followers on TikTok, arrived in the U.S. on April 30 and was detained at Harry Reid airport in Las Vegas on June 6 “for immigration violations” having “overstayed the terms of his visa,” an Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson said.

“Lame was granted voluntary departure June 6 and has since departed the U.S.,” the spokesperson said of the 25-year-old who was named a UNICEF goodwill ambassador in January.

Conservative commentator Bo Loudon appears to have been the first to publicly mention Lame’s detention. Loudon claimed that he reported Lame to authorities on June 6 and shared what he claimed was a screenshot from the ICE website indicating that Lame was being held at the Henderson Detention Center in Nevada.

Why It Matters

The news comes amid a crackdown on immigration by President Donald Trump’s administration. Trump has vowed to remove millions of immigrants without legal status as part of a hard-line mass deportation policy. The White House has said that anyone living in the country illegally is a “criminal.”

The reported detentions come amid ramped up enforcement operations under the Trump administration, during which people with valid documentation—including green cards or visas—have been detained and face potential removal.

TikTok star Khaby Lame poses for a photograph after being named UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador on January 31, 2025, in Dakar, Senegal.
TikTok star Khaby Lame poses for a photograph after being named UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador on January 31, 2025, in Dakar, Senegal.
Sylvain Cherkaoui/AP

What To Know

Following his detention, Lame has stayed active on social media platforms. On June 7, an image that appeared to be Venice Beach was uploaded to his Instagram Stories, and a video appeared on his TikTok, marked as posted “one day ago.”

Lame, who shares content under the username @khaby.lame, moved from Senegal to Chivasso, near Turin, Italy, when he was just a year old. He officially became an Italian citizen in 2022.

Lame posts humorous takedowns of overly complicated or absurd videos and is known for his deadpan expressions.

Before rising to internet fame, he worked in a factory but was laid off in 2020 during the early days of the pandemic.

He told The New York Times that he began using his newfound free time to make TikTok videos—eventually gaining widespread popularity for his minimalist comedic style.

One of his most-viewed clips shows him mocking a TikToker who unnecessarily cuts through his T-shirt to escape a car door—garnering more than 158 million views.

What People Are Saying

A spokesperson for ICE told Newsweek: “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. Lame entered the United States April 30 and overstayed the terms of his visa. Lame was granted voluntary departure June 6 and has since departed the U.S.”