Right-Wing Commentator Milo Yiannopoulos Arrested by ICE
British political commentator Milo Yiannopoulos has been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and was later deported to the United Kingdom, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed over the weekend.
What Happened
ICE agents arrested Yiannopoulos on Thursday at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in Kenner, Louisiana, according to DHS. He was held at a major ICE detention hub in Alexandria, Louisiana, before being deported to the UK on Saturday.
A DHS spokesperson said Yiannopoulos legally entered the United States on May 14, 2019, through New York City, but overstayed his authorized visit. According to the agency, an immigration judge issued a final order of removal against Yiannopoulos on July 22 after he failed to appear for his immigration hearing.
"Yiannopoulos was issued a final order of removal by an Immigration Judge on July 22, after failing to show up for his immigration hearing," DHS said in a statement. "He will remain in ICE custody pending removal."
DHS's online detainee locator confirmed Yiannopoulos was in the agency's custody as of Friday afternoon, before his deportation was finalized the following day.
How the Case Came to Light
Far-right commentator Laura Loomer, who has publicly feuded with Yiannopoulos, said she was responsible for alerting authorities to his immigration status. Loomer wrote on social media that she reported Yiannopoulos to ICE and the FBI after he allegedly called for her assassination during their public falling-out. She had previously alleged in December that Yiannopoulos was residing in the country illegally, including claims that he stayed at the homes of former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and podcaster Candace Owens.
The feud between the two had already drawn attention in far-right media circles. Loomer, who has emerged as a close ally of the Trump administration in recent years, has clashed with Yiannopoulos over a range of personal and political disputes. Yiannopoulos, for his part, had previously published claims about Loomer's mental health history in what was widely seen as an attempt to damage her standing with President Trump.
Yiannopoulos's detention drew attention in part because of his own public support for aggressive immigration enforcement. As recently as last year, he called for ICE checkpoints in California supermarkets and other common public areas, along with what he described as "on the spot deportation for anyone who can't prove they are in the US legally." His arrest by the same agency he had publicly championed was widely noted online.
Ties to Kanye West
Yiannopoulos was reportedly in Louisiana ahead of a scheduled concert by the rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans that Friday night. It remains unclear whether Yiannopoulos was in the state specifically to attend the show.
Yiannopoulos previously served as Ye's chief of staff for nearly two years, including during the rapper's 2020 and 2024 presidential campaign efforts, where he held the title of director of political operations. He also worked at Ye's Yeezy clothing brand before resigning roughly two years ago, following Ye's announcement that he planned to launch an adult entertainment studio under the Yeezy name.
Background on Yiannopoulos
Yiannopoulos, a former Breitbart editor, rose to national prominence more than a decade ago as a right-wing provocateur, gaining notoriety for controversial commentary and campus speaking events that frequently drew large protests. He was an outspoken supporter of President Trump's early political rise, at times referring to Trump as "Daddy," and connected his own following to the broader conservative movement that fueled Trump's campaign.
DHS used the announcement of Yiannopoulos's arrest to highlight the administration's broader immigration enforcement efforts, noting a policy change that ended a Biden-era practice allowing undocumented immigrants to travel domestically by air. The agency also encouraged people in the country illegally to use the CBP Home app to self-deport, framing Yiannopoulos's case as an example of its enforcement priorities under the current administration.
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