British far-right commentator Milo Yiannopoulos has been deported to the United Kingdom after his arrest by American immigration authorities.
U.S. officials stated that Yiannopoulos was returned to his home country on Friday, having entered the U.S. legally in May 2019 and subsequently overstaying his visa. A final order of removal was issued by an immigration judge on July 22 after Yiannopoulos failed to appear for a scheduled hearing, according to a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained Yiannopoulos on Thursday at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in Louisiana. A Homeland Security spokesperson said in a statement, “He chose to overstay his welcome in violation of our nation’s laws.”
Yiannopoulos, known for his conservative views and provocative public stances against feminism, Islam, and immigrants, has been a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump's immigration policies. In the past year, he posted on X, formerly Twitter, "Zero immigration for the next 20 years. No ifs, no buts."
In recent years, Yiannopoulos has worked in circles associated with conservative activism. He interned for former U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in 2022. He also managed the short-lived 2024 presidential campaign for rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, who recently performed in New Orleans. Yiannopoulos most recently served as a spokesperson for Ye, who has faced scrutiny for antisemitic comments, which he has since apologized for.
Yiannopoulos gained prominence in the early 2010s as a writer for Breitbart News. He resigned from the company in 2017 following controversy over remarks he made endorsing pedophilia, for which he later apologized, stating he was a victim of sexual assault as a minor.
His arrest occurs amidst a national increase in detentions as part of immigration enforcement efforts. Conservative activist Laura Loomer publicly supported Yiannopoulos's arrest, referencing a past public dispute between them and claiming to have been the first to report that Yiannopoulos was in the U.S. illegally.
In 2017, Yiannopoulos's “Troll Academy Tour” across college campuses sparked protests and clashes, with some students accusing him of hate speech and others defending his appearances as free speech advocacy. During that period, Buzzfeed reported on Yiannopoulos's connections with individuals described as white nationalists.
Representatives for Yiannopoulos did not respond to requests for comment. He has not posted on his X account since Thursday.