LOS ANGELES — Khaby Lame, the world’s most-followed TikTok creator, was briefly detained by U.S. immigration officers this week after overstaying his visa, authorities confirmed.
The 25-year-old Italian citizen was taken into custody on June 6 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at Harry Reid Worldwide Airport in Las Vegas. In response to an official assertion, Lame had entered the nation on April 30 and violated the phrases of his visa keep.
Lame, identified for his silent comedic movies and signature hand gestures that mock overly difficult web tutorials, was launched the identical day and allowed to depart the USA underneath a “voluntary departure” settlement. He has since departed the nation.
As of Saturday afternoon, Lame had not publicly addressed the incident on his social media platforms.
The detention comes amid the Trump administration’s intensified immigration crackdown, a part of a broader effort to meet marketing campaign guarantees to tighten U.S. borders — a coverage shift that has confronted authorized challenges throughout a number of states.
Lame, who rose to international fame through the COVID-19 pandemic after shedding his manufacturing unit job in Italy, is presently the highest content material creator on TikTok, boasting greater than 162 million followers. His meteoric rise has earned him an estimated $16.5 million between June 2022 and September 2023, in response to Forbes, because of profitable model partnerships and advertising and marketing offers. He additionally serves as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador.
Regardless of the visa hiccup, Lame’s recognition reveals no indicators of waning, with followers all over the world persevering with to embrace his common, wordless humor.
