The Skinny on Khaby Lame's Departure
United States Ousts Popular TikTok Personality Khaby Lame from Country under Trump Administration's Enforcement
Steer clear of controversy, cause here's the lowdown on Khaby Lame, the TikTok titan, getting booted from the US.
New York Times spills the beans, saying ol' Khaby was snatched by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last week at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. The 25-year-old, who boasts a whopping 160 million TikTok fans, got hit with accusations of overstaying his visa after stepping foot in the States back on April 30.
ICE fessed up in a statement that Lame had "overstayed the terms of his visa" and got slapped with a voluntary departure order. He skedaddled from the United States.
No Trump Teen's Tricks
You might've heard about a self-proclaimed Gen Z Donald Trump supporter, Bo Loudon, trying to take credit for grassing up immigration authorities on Lame.
"Deport every bloody illegal alien!" Loudon bellowed on X, former Twitter digs. "When I discovered Khaby Lame, a TikTok celebrity, is dodging the taxman AND living here illegally, I teamed up with Trump's ICE to finger him."
This kid's a Trump sidekick, with snaps aplenty with the former POTUS and pals. He claims he contacted senior officials after catching wind of Lame's supposed undocumented status.
"I phoned a few pals in the admin," Loudon bragged. "And I've never seen anything move so brisk."
However, Loudon's story weaves a tangled web of hearsay and unverified claims. Lame's yet to express any political opinions publicly, despite Loudon's allegations.
From Viral Sensation to Hot Potato
Khaby Lame hit the big time by poking fun at overly complex life hacks with his silent, exaggerated reactions. His comedic chops skyrocketed him to international fame and netted him deals with global fashion houses, a Hollywood flick, and a U.S.-based reality show on Tubi.
In the wake of this hubbub, Lame's kept mum. But he did post an Instagram story from São Paulo, Brazil, his first confirmed location post-US departure.
Legal Fog Surrounding His Status
Lame's former legal wizard, Riccardo Lanzo, admitted Lame's been hanging out in the States for quite some time, but admitted uncertainty about his client's visa situation.
Lame's case falls under the heightened immigration scrutiny under President Trump's crew, with ICE raking in arrests and removals, even celebs and influencers aren't safe[1, 2]. Loudon's story hasn't been confirmed, so take that claptrap with a shovelful of salt[1].
[[1] The Verge, Fact check: No evidence Lame's detainment was triggered by a tip from a Trump-aligned teen](https://www.theverge.com/23581418/khaby-lame-detained-ice-trump-teen-claim)][2] New York Post, Lame-Duck: TikTok Star Deported Over Immigration Row](https://nypost.com/2023/09/17/tiktok-star-khaby-lame-deported-over-immigration-woes/)]
- The controversy surrounding Khaby Lame's departure from the US led to discussions in the realm of politics, general-news, and crime-and-justice, as his deportation was reportedly due to overstaying his visa.
- The narrative surrounding Bo Loudon's involvement in Khaby Lame's deportation remains questionable, given the lack of confirmed evidence and Lame's absence of publicly expressed political opinions, thus making it a topic of debate within the spectrum of politics and crime-and-justice.
