Khaby Lame, the most-followed person on TikTok, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Friday, June 6. The incident occurred at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas.
In a statement to USA TODAY, an ICE spokesperson said that Lame had overstayed his visa after entering the U.S. on April 30. He was held for immigration violations and granted voluntary departure. Reported claim he has left the United States.
Khaby Lame’s immigration violation
Lame, whose full name is Seringe Khabane Lame, holds Italian citizenship but was born in Senegal. He became a global figure through silent reaction videos that simplify over-engineered life hacks. His style is universal, helping him build a following of over 162 million on TikTok.
ICE detentions draw renewed scrutiny
ICE has come under public scrutiny for its aggressive enforcement tactics, including workplace raids and controversial detentions. Lame’s case, while non-violent, puts a spotlight back on how immigration policy puts international creators traveling to the U.S. for work or other cases. For example, United States-born leftist political streamer Hasan Piker was recently detained at Chicago’s O’Hare airport when reentering the U.S. after an international trip for reasons unknown to him.
As of now, Khaby Lame has not commented publicly. His team has not issued a statement on whether the detainment will affect future U.S.-based collaborations.
Image courtesy: Associated Press