British commentator Milo Yiannopoulos was deported to the United Kingdom after his arrest by U.S. immigration authorities, according to officials on Saturday. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated that Yiannopoulos was returned to his home country on Friday after being accused of overstaying his visa, which he entered the U.S. under legally in May 2019. An immigration judge issued a final order of removal on July 22 after Yiannopoulos failed to appear for an immigration hearing, a spokesperson for Homeland Security reported.
Yiannopoulos was arrested on Thursday at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in Louisiana and was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). A spokesperson for Homeland Security commented, "He chose to overstay his welcome in violation of our nation's laws."
Yiannopoulos and his representatives did not respond to requests for comment, and he has not posted on the social media platform X since Thursday. He is known for his conservative views and has often taken provocative stances against feminism, Islam, and immigration. Yiannopoulos has been a supporter of former President Donald Trump's immigration policies aimed at undocumented individuals.
In a post on X last year, Yiannopoulos stated, "Zero immigration for the next 20 years. No ifs, no buts." He has recently worked for rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, who performed in New Orleans on Friday.
Yiannopoulos gained prominence in the early 2010s as a writer for Breitbart News but resigned in 2017 after a video surfaced in which he appeared to endorse pedophilia. He later apologized and claimed to be a victim of sexual assault as a minor.
His arrest and deportation occur amid a nationwide increase in immigration detentions as part of Trump's enforcement policies. The Department of Homeland Security highlighted Yiannopoulos' arrest on social media, sharing a booking photo and encouraging individuals in the U.S. illegally to leave voluntarily, offering $3,000 and a free flight for self-deportation.
The department did not provide additional details regarding Yiannopoulos' legal entry into the U.S. in 2019, including whether he was granted a visa. Conservative activist Laura Loomer praised Yiannopoulos' arrest on social media, referencing their past public disputes.
Controversy surrounding Yiannopoulos intensified in 2017 during his "Troll Academy Tour" at various college campuses, which led to protests and accusations of hate speech. He has continued to be involved in conservative activism, including a brief internship with former U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and a short-lived presidential campaign for Ye in 2024. Recently, he has acted as a spokesperson for Ye, who has faced his own controversies following antisemitic remarks that he later apologized for.