British right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos has been expelled from the United States and returned to the United Kingdom after being detained by American immigration authorities, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has confirmed.
Mr Yiannopoulos was flown back to the UK on Friday following his arrest at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in Louisiana on Thursday, after failing to attend an immigration hearing.
Background and Immigration Status
Immigration authorities noted that Mr Yiannopoulos originally entered the US legally in 2019, and referred to him as an "illegal alien". A DHS spokesperson previously stated: "Yiannopoulos legally entered the country on May 14 2019, through New York City, New York. He chose to overstay his welcome in violation of our nation's laws."
"Yiannopoulos was issued a final order of removal by an immigration judge on July 22, after failing to show up for his immigration hearing. He will remain in Ice custody pending removal." They further noted that remaining in detention was a "choice", as the US government is currently offering financial incentives and complimentary flights for individuals to "self deport".
Political Stances and Career
He has previously described himself as "the most fabulous supervillain on the internet" and has championed alt-right talking points on feminism, Islam and immigrants. He has been a particularly vocal supporter of US President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.
"Zero immigration for the next 20 years. No ifs, no buts," Mr Yiannopoulos wrote on X last year.
During the early 2010s, Mr Yiannopoulos was recruited to the Breitbart website by Mr Trump's former chief strategist Steve Bannon, and was well known for referring to Donald Trump as "daddy". He stepped down from the organisation in 2017 after a video of him endorsing paedophilia resurfaced online, and subsequently apologised for the remarks, saying he had been a victim of sexual assault as a minor.
Recent Activities
More recently, he briefly spearheaded a presidential campaign on behalf of rapper Ye (formerly Kanye West) and was also reported to have served as an intern for former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene.
