Khaby Lame, most-followed TikToker, headed home after ICE detainment: Reports
FILE - Khaby Lame attends the 69th Taormina Film Festival on June 28, 2023 in Taormina, Italy. (Photo by Daniele Venturelli/Getty Images)
Khaby Lame, the man who has become the most-followed TikTok star, is heading back home to Italy after being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on June 6, according to reports.
Lame, 25, was allegedly detained while at Harry Reid International Airport for overstaying the terms of his visa, TMZ reported.
Khaby Lame self-deported to Italy
Dig deeper:
Lame entered the U.S. on April 30, according to USA Today.
He was given the option to self-deport before being subjected to deportation proceedings.
Trump's ICE crackdowns
Big picture view:
The incident comes amid rising concern over President Donald Trump’s approach to dissent, especially following crackdowns on pro-Palestinian student protests and controversial immigration enforcement tactics. Critics say the administration is increasingly using state power to intimidate activists and critics.
Last month, HasanAbi, a famous streamer on the platform Twitch, was reportedly detained by ICE and interrogated by federal agents after landing at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.
HasanAbi, whose real name is Hasan Piker, streams to nearly 3 million followers on Twitch. He detailed his experience in a 40-minute video, saying he was held for hours and questioned about his opinions on Trump and Hamas.
Who is Khaby Lame?
Lame is a Senegalese-Italian influencer who went viral on TikTok for his comedy content.
The backstory:
Lame’s content centers around reacting to other videos in which he silently mocks overly complicated "life hacks" and other similar videos.
He was named one of People’s Creators of the Year in 2024 and boasts 162.2 million followers on TikTok.
Lame’s meteoric rise to fame has led him to lead "a whole different life," he told People magazine.
He’s been featured in ads for brands such as Doritos, Kellogg, Qatar Airways, and many more.
The influencer even attended the 2025 Met Gala in May.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from reporting by USA Today, TMZ and People magazine. Previous reporting by FOX Local also contributed to this article. This story was reported from Los Angeles.