Entertainment

Khaby Lame has the most followers on TikTok. ICE detained him — and now he's left the U.S.

Khaby Lame, the world's most popular TikTok personality, with more than 162 million followers, has left the U.S. after being detained by immigration agents in Las Vegas for allegedly overstaying his visa.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says star overstayed his visa, but was granted voluntary departure

A man in a grey fedora and a grey pinstriped suit, with white shirt and tie and a grey vest with timepieces affixed to it, poses for a photo.
TikTok superstar Khaby Lame, seen at the 2025 Met Gala in New York last month, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Las Vegas on Friday. He has since left the U.S., officials say. (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)

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 Serigne 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 (ICE) 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. He has not publicly commented on his detainment.

His detainment and voluntary departure from the U.S. comes amid President Donald Trump's escalating crackdown on immigration, including raids in Los Angeles that sparked days of protests against ICE, as the president tests the bounds of his executive authority.

A voluntary departure — which was granted to Lame — allows those facing removal from the U.S. to avoid a deportation order on their immigration record, which could prevent them from being allowed back into the U.S. for up to a decade.

The 25-year-old rose to international fame during the pandemic without ever saying a word in his videos, which would show him reacting to absurdly complicated "life hacks."

He has more than 162 million followers on TikTok alone. The Senegal-born influencer moved to Italy when he was an infant with his working class parents and has Italian citizenship.

His internet fame quickly evolved. He signed a multi-year partnership with designer brand Hugo Boss in 2022.

In January, he was appointed as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador. Last month, he attended the Met Gala in New York City, days after arriving in the U.S.

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Rio Yamat

The Associated Press

The Associated Press