British far-right commentator Milo Yiannopoulos was arrested by US immigration agents in New Orleans, Donald Trump's government has confirmed. Yiannopoulos was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers at the Louisiana city's airport on Thursday (August 28).
Visa Overstay and Removal Order
Officials have accused Yiannopoulos of overstaying his visa after entering the United States legally in May 2019 through New York City. An immigration judge issued a final order of removal on July 22 after Yiannopoulos failed to appear for his immigration hearing, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said.
They told the Associated Press: "He chose to overstay his welcome in violation of our nation's laws." ICE's online detainee locator doesn't reveal where Yiannopoulos is being held but directs family and legal representatives to the agency's office in Alexandria, Louisiana, a deportation hub for international flights.
Background and Controversies
Yiannopoulos has been a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump's immigration policies, posting on X last year: "Zero immigration for the next 20 years. No ifs, no buts." The British national has most recently worked for the rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, who is scheduled to perform in New Orleans on Friday evening.
Yiannopoulos gained notoriety in the early 2010s as a provocative columnist for the conservative website Breitbart News. He stepped down from the organisation in 2017 after footage emerged online showing him appearing to endorse paedophilia. He subsequently issued an apology for the comments and revealed he had been a victim of sexual abuse as a child.
Reactions and Recent Activity
Yiannopoulos' detention on Friday occurs during a nationwide surge in arrests as part of Trump's immigration enforcement drive. Far-right conservative campaigner Laura Loomer quickly turned to social media to celebrate Yiannopoulos' arrest following years of public feuding between the pair.
"I was the first person to report on the fact that Milo was in the US illegally where he incited violence against President Trump and worked for Marjorie Traitor Greene," Loomer posted on X. Controversy surrounding Yiannopoulos exploded in 2017 when he embarked on what he termed his "Troll Academy Tour" across university campuses across the US.
During this period, Buzzfeed exposed Yiannopoulos' close ties with self-described white nationalists. In 2022, he served as an intern for former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, according to the Washington Post. He later managed Ye's brief 2024 presidential campaign. Most recently, Yiannopoulos has been employed as a spokesman for Ye, who has faced his own wave of controversy following antisemitic remarks that the rapper has since apologised for.
