ICE Confirms Khaby Lame Was Detained in Las Vegas
TikTok’s most-followed creator, Khaby Lame, was briefly detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on June 6 after overstaying his visa, the agency confirmed. The 25-year-old Italian citizen, born in Senegal, had entered the United States on April 30 and was taken into custody at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas.
“Lame entered the United States April 30 and overstayed the terms of his visa,” ICE told Men’s Journal in an official statement. “Lame was granted voluntary departure June 6 and has since departed the U.S.”
Viral Rumor Turns Out to Be True
The incident followed a wave of online speculation triggered by social media influencer Bo Louden, who claimed Lame had been arrested by ICE and posted a screenshot from the ICE detainee database under the name Serigne Khabane Lame. Initially, the rumor was flagged as likely false, with X’s Grok even issuing a warning and a community note pointing out that Lame was an Italian citizen not subject to deportation if he wasn’t living in the U.S.
The confusion grew because Lame never appeared in the public ICE detainee database—and continued posting on TikTok and Instagram throughout the day, including clips from a bookstore and birthday wishes to a fellow celebrity.
However, ICE later clarified that Lame had in fact been detained briefly and was allowed to voluntarily leave the country, which would explain his absence from the online database.
Lame Departs U.S. Without Incident
Despite the headlines, the situation didn’t escalate. ICE confirmed that Lame was not forcibly deported but instead granted voluntary departure the same day he was detained. That allowed the TikTok megastar—who boasts more than 162 million followers—to exit the U.S. without a formal removal record.
While Lame has not issued a direct statement on the incident, his social media presence remains active. On June 7, he posted multiple Instagram stories and a TikTok video, giving fans no indication of the brief immigration drama
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