TikTok superstar leaves US after being detained by ICE at Las Vegas airport
TikTok megastar Khaby Lame has left the United States after being detained in Las Vegas by federal immigration.
“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,” an ICE representative told People.
Lame, who holds the record as the most followed on TikTok with over 160 million followers on the platform, was asked to leave the U.S. because he “overstayed the terms of his visa.”
The 25-year-old content creator was stopped by ICE at the Las Vegas airport and granted voluntary departure once he was detained.
The social media star was born in Senegal and was moved to Italy when he was a baby. He was granted Italian citizenship in August 2022.
Lame rose to fame when he started sharing silent comedic videos on TikTok during the pandemic after he was laid off from his job.
“Before TikTok, I was working in a factory. I had a lot of different jobs,” he told People after being named one of their Creators of the Year. “I was helping support my family — three little brothers, one older brother and my parents. Then my world changed completely. It’s a whole different life now.”
In May of 2025, Lame was seen at the Met Gala celebrating the theme of Black Dandyism in a grey and cream suit.
The detainment comes amid President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. ICE has launched raids all over the country, enforcing the president’s mass deportation campaign promise in workplaces, schools, airports and college campuses.
As for Lame, he has been active on social media since the detainment and hasn’t spoken publicly about what happened.