Khaby Lame, the most followed person on TikTok, has voluntarily left the United States after being briefly detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement last week for overstaying the terms of his visa.
Lame, whose real name is Serigne Khabane Lame, is a Senegalese- Italian TikToker known for his deadpan reactions to other videos. His viral videos have earned him a following of more than 162 million.
But on June 6, Lame was detained at the Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas for violating the terms of his visa, ICE said in a statement.
Lame, 25, had entered the U.S. on April 30 on a temporary visa. While in the country, Lame attended the Met Gala in New York City.
“Lame was granted voluntary departure June 6 and has since departed the U.S.,” an ICE spokesperson said.
It’s unclear if Lame returned to Italy immediately.
As of Tuesday, Lame had posted an Instagram Story of himself in São Paulo, Brazil.
Lame’s experience with immigration enforcement arrives as President Donald Trump directs local, state, and federal law enforcement to assist in carrying-out his long-promised mass deportation agenda.
News of the popular TikToker’s detainment sent ripples across social media, with many of Lame’s followers acknowledging his run-in with immigration law enforcement in his comment section, despite his videos having nothing to do with the incident.
“Sad to hear. But laws have to be followed wherever you go. No exceptions. Even if you don't agree with them. In any country, you have to follow THEIR laws, not your beliefs, wants, or desires. Hang in there @khaby00 and make it all legal! You are loved by so many!” One person wrote on an Instagram post from 2023.
“Bro ain’t deported just winning,” one commenter wrote on an unrelated sponsored post.
“Is it true you were captured by ICE?” A person wrote on one of Lame’s Instagram videos.
Lame has not publicly commented on accusations of overstaying his visa.
The interest in Lame’s encounter with ICE arrives as other influencers are using their platform to raise awareness of the lack of due process associated with the Trump administration’s mass deportation raids in Los Angeles and other cities.
