Khaby Lame, world’s most popular TikTok star, leaves the US after being detained by ICE
The Senegalese-Italian influencer allegedly overstayed his visa but was allowed to depart the country without being deported
Khaby Lame, the world’s most popular TikTok personality with millions of followers, has left the US after being detained by immigration agents in Las Vegas for allegedly overstaying his visa.
The Senegalese-Italian influencer, whose legal name is Seringe Khabane Lame, was detained on Friday at Harry Reid International Airport but was allowed to leave the country without a deportation order, a spokesperson for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed in a statement.
Lame arrived in the US on April 30 and “overstayed the terms of his visa”, the ICE spokesperson said. Associated Press sent a message seeking comment Tuesday to the email address listed on Lame’s Instagram account. He has not publicly commented on his detainment.
His detainment and voluntary departure from the United States comes amid US President Donald Trump’s escalating crackdown on immigration, including raids in Los Angeles that sparked days of protests against ICE, as the president tests the bounds of his executive authority.
A voluntary departure – which was granted to Lame – allows those facing removal from the US to avoid a deportation order on their immigration record, which could prevent them from being allowed back into the US for up to a decade.
The 25-year-old rose to international fame during the pandemic without ever saying a word in his videos, which would show him reacting to absurdly complicated “life hacks”.