TikTok Star Khaby Lame Detained by ICE at Las Vegas Airport Over Visa Issues

TikToker Khaby Lame voluntarily left the United States after being detained by ICE, the federal law enforcement agency told Complex.

Lame, born Seringe Khabane Lame, was detained in Las Vegas earlier this week. He was visiting the US on a visa that ICE claimed was expired. The social media star was born in Senegal and currently lives in Italy, where he is a citizen.

In a statement sent to Complex, a spokesperson for ICE confirmed Lame’s detention, writing:

“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.”

Lame has not addressed the arrest as of publishing time. Boasting over 162 million followers on TikTok and over 80 million followers on Instagram, his style of content is known for not containing any dialogue. His most recent video, posted a day after he left the US, is a Minecraft sponsorship.

Lame’s detainment coincidentally came days before President Trump deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles on Sunday (June 8) as protests against ICE raids rage on across the city. The LAPD confirmed that the protests were nonviolent, but Trump insisted on military intervention.

The protests have even spread to New York, with mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo blasting the Trump administration’s tactics.

“I believe in upholding the rule of law and maintaining secure borders, but these operations—marked by military-style raids, the use of flash-bang grenades, and the detention of individuals, including those attempting to document the events—cross a line into cruelty and unnecessary fear mongering,” said Cuomo.