The world's most-followed TikToker, Khaby Lame, has become an unexpected face of the United States' hardened immigration policies under President Donald Trump's administration.
The 25-year-old Italian citizen, known globally for his silent, deadpan reaction videos, which have earned him 162 million followers, made headlines on 6 June 2025 when he was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas.
Although the detention lasted only hours, it sparked a wave of online debate over America's approach to immigration enforcement.
Visa Trouble Sparks Airport Detention
Lame entered the US on 30 April 2025, but immigration officers flagged issues with his visa. According to ICE, the Senegal-born star was detained for 'immigration violations', not criminal activity.
He was granted voluntary departure on 6 June and has since left the country. This resolution allowed Lame to avoid formal deportation proceedings, but didn't stop social media from exploding with speculation.
Conservative influencer Bo Loudon claimed he reported Lame to ICE, sharing what he said was a screenshot from the detainee database. Lame's name no longer appears there.
The event, which first gained traction on X, has become emblematic of the growing scrutiny around visa compliance during the Trump administration's second term.
Trump's Immigration Policies Hit Hard
Since returning to the White House in January 2025, Trump has doubled down on immigration enforcement.
Reuters reports hundreds of thousands of ICE arrests and deportations, targeting both undocumented migrants and visa overstays. Lame, despite his fame and Italian citizenship (granted in 2022), was not spared.
As Forbes highlights, Lame rose from a factory worker in Chivasso, Italy, to one of the platform's highest earners—making an estimated £14.7 million ($20 million) between June 2022 and September 2023. That success, however, didn't shield him from rigid enforcement.
His brief detention underscores the administration's no-exceptions approach. Protests and legal challenges continue to mount in cities like Los Angeles, where critics accuse ICE of excessive force and disproportionate targeting.
Where's Khaby Now?
Following his voluntary departure, Lame is believed to have returned to Italy, although he hasn't publicly addressed the incident.
His iconic shrug and simple humour remain unchanged. With ongoing brand deals with names like Hugo Boss and Walmart, and an estimated net worth of £14.7 million ($20 million), his career shows no signs of slowing.
Still, the ICE incident serves as a sobering reminder: even the world's most recognisable content creators aren't immune to immigration laws.
