Khaby Lame, the most-followed personality on the popular
TikTok social media platform, was detained by ICE officials at the Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada, last Friday (June 6). According to ICE, Khaby Lame has since left the United States and has not made any public statements regarding the stop by the agency, and a MAGA influencer is claiming credit.
In a report from the
AFP, Khaby Lame, 25, was detained by ICE at the airport, with officials citing immigration violation for the stop.
“US 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,” according to a statement that spokespeople for ICE gave to the
AFP.
Love Hip-Hop Wired? Get more! Join the Hip-Hop Wired Newsletter
We care about your data. See our privacy policy.
Khaby Lame catapulted to fame on TikTok for his silent videos and trademark palms-up gesture at the camera, garnering Lame 16.2 million followers on the TikTok platform. Lame has also leveraged his TikTok fame to establish brand deals outside the platform.
Bo Loundon, a rising MAGA influencer whose feed is replete with attacks on anyone that he perceives as a threat to President Donald Trump’s vision of America, claimed that he has worked alongside the Department of Homeland Security to have Lame detained.
“BREAKING: Far-left ILLEGAL ALIEN TikToker Khaby Lame was just ARRESTED and is now in ICE custody under President Trump,” Loudon tweeted on Friday. “I discovered he was an illegal who overstayed an invalid VISA, evaded taxes, and I personally took action to have him deported. No one is above the law!”
Loudon also shared an X post sharing a similar statement to the one given to the
AFP. However, it does not confirm an arrest, and Lame was granted voluntary departure on June 6. It does appear that Loudon’s claim of an arrest was largely exaggerated. We also searched ICE’s arrest database, and it did not turn up any results on Lame.
On X, the reactions to Khaby Lame’s arrest and Bo Loudon’s alleged involvement, with some users calling Loudon’s claims false, have turned up. We’ve got them listed below.
—
Photo: Getty
