Khaby Lame, the world’s most popular TikTok personality with millions of followers, has left the U.S. 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 Friday at Harry Reid International Airport but was allowed to leave the country without a deportation order, a spokesperson for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed in a statement.
Lame arrived in the U.S. on April 30 and “overstayed the terms of his visa,” the ICE spokesperson said.
The Associated Press sent a message seeking comment Tuesday to the email address listed on Lame’s Instagram account.
Lame began his TikTok career after losing his job in a factory.
The most popular TikTok user in the world, Khaby Lame, has left the United States. A. after being arrested for allegedly overstaying his visa by immigration officials in Las Vegas.
A spokesman for U.S. said the Senegalese-Italian influencer, whose legal name is Seringe Khabane Lame, was arrested Friday at Harry Reid International Airport but was free to depart the nation without a deportation order. S. . According to a statement from Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Lame reached the United States. S. . “overstayed the terms of his visa” on April 30, according to an ICE spokesperson. The email address provided on Lame’s Instagram account was contacted by the Associated Press on Tuesday in an attempt to obtain comment. He has not discussed his incarceration in public.
He was arrested and left the U.S. voluntarily. S. . occurs as President Donald Trump pushes the limits of his executive authority with his intensifying immigration crackdown, which includes raids in Los Angeles that led to days of anti-ICE protests.
Those who are facing removal from the United States are permitted to leave voluntarily, as Lame did. A. to prevent a deportation order from being placed on their immigration record, which would bar them from returning to the United States. A. for ten years or more.
Through his videos of himself reacting to ridiculously complex “life hacks,” the 25-year-old gained worldwide recognition during the pandemic without ever saying a word. On TikTok alone, he has 162/3 million followers.
In 2022, the influencer, who was born in Senegal, formally became an Italian citizen after moving to Italy as a baby with his working-class parents.
His online celebrity quickly grew. When Lame lost his factory job, he started using TikTok.
“It’s my face and my expressions which make people laugh,” Lame said in a 2021 interview with The New York Times, adding that his responses have “a multinational language.”. “,”.
In 2022, he inked a long-term deal with Hugo Boss, a designer brand. He was named a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF in January.
