Khaby Lame Exits U.S. After ICE Detention for Visa Overstay Amid Widening Immigration Crackdown

 

TikTok Icon Khaby Lame Leaves U.S. After ICE Detention Over Immigration Violation

The internet's beloved silent comedian and TikTok superstar Khaby Lame has left the United States after being briefly detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for an immigration-related violation. The 25-year-old Italian citizen, known for his deadpan humor and viral reactions to overly complicated life hacks, was apprehended on June 6 at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Authorities confirmed Lame's detention stemmed from an overstay of his permitted visit in the United States. According to an ICE spokesperson speaking to Mail Online, Lame entered the country on April 30 but remained beyond the duration allowed by his visa. After review, officials granted the content creator voluntary departure the same day he was detained, allowing him to exit the U.S. without facing a formal removal order.

Lame, whose full name is Seringe Khabane Lame, is originally from Senegal but has been living in Italy since the age of one. He grew up in Chivasso, a small town near Turin, and officially obtained Italian citizenship in 2022. His meteoric rise to social media fame has made him one of the most recognizable faces on TikTok, where he boasts a staggering 162.2 million followers, making him one of the platform’s most followed creators globally.

The ICE statement read: “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained Seringe Khabane Lame, 25, a citizen of Italy, June 6, at the Harry Reid International Airport, Las Vegas, Nevada for immigration violations. Lame entered the United States April 30 and overstayed the terms of his visa. Lame was granted voluntary departure June 6 and has since departed the U.S.”

No further details have emerged regarding the nature of his visit to the United States, although speculation has circulated that Lame was in the country for professional engagements or influencer events. Sources close to the influencer have not released any official comments as of this writing, and Lame himself has not addressed the incident on his social platforms.

The timing of Lame’s detention aligns with an intensified wave of immigration enforcement actions taken under President Donald Trump’s administration, which returned to power earlier this year. Since his inauguration in January, Trump’s reinstated administration has significantly expanded ICE operations, leading to mass deportations and heightened scrutiny of visa overstays and undocumented immigrants.

Raids and detentions have become increasingly frequent under the revamped policies, with ICE reporting hundreds of thousands of removals since the beginning of the year. While Lame’s case involved a voluntary departure rather than a forcible removal, it underscores the administration’s uncompromising stance on immigration enforcement.

Despite the incident, Lame’s massive influence online remains intact. Known for his signature hand gestures and facial expressions that often mock the absurdity of overly elaborate “life hack” videos, his universal style of communication—free of spoken words—has made him a global phenomenon. His quiet yet powerful presence online has helped bridge linguistic and cultural divides, earning him followers from virtually every corner of the world.

The departure from the U.S. is unlikely to derail his career, though it could affect future travel plans to the country depending on how immigration authorities interpret his previous overstay. Typically, a voluntary departure spares individuals from the harsher penalties of deportation, but visa reapplication processes may still involve heightened scrutiny.

Observers from the digital creator community expressed concern that international influencers may increasingly face complications when navigating U.S. immigration law, particularly under the current administration’s rigid policies. As online content creation blurs national boundaries, creators often find themselves juggling complex visa categories—ranging from tourist entries to work and event-specific permits.

Lame’s journey from a factory worker laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic to the most followed man on TikTok is widely regarded as one of the most inspiring success stories of the digital era. His return to Europe, although sudden and under unfortunate circumstances, is not expected to hinder his creative momentum.

His fans continue to express support online, flooding his TikTok and Instagram posts with messages of solidarity and encouragement. Whether his next viral post will address the episode remains to be seen, but for now, Khaby Lame has once again let his silence speak volumes.