Khaby Lame Bids Adieu to the USA Voluntarily After Visa Mishap
Visa Lapse Leads to TikToker Khaby Lame's Deportation from the U.S. After Arrest - Visa Expiration: US Departure Following Arrest for Khabane "Khaby Lame" Souamanou (TikTok Star)
Let's spill some tea on the recent happenings with everyone's favorite TikTok star, Khaby Lame! This Italian-Senegalese comedian, known for his silent spins on the wacky tutorial videos circulating on the web, found himself in a bit of a pickle.
Lame landed in the United States on April 30, 2025, and it seems he hung around a little longer than planned. Despite his 162 million followers and the millions he makes, he's remained mum on the whole affair.
His big break came in 2020 when he lost his factory gig and found himself wandering the corridors of his apartment complex in Chivasso near Turin. He laughed his way to the bank with marketing deals worth approximately $16.5 million (€14.5 million) between June 2022 and September 2023, as reported by Forbes[1].
Alas, his stay in the Land of the Free took a turn for the worse. Lame was detained by immigration agents in Sin City (Las Vegas, for those uninitiated) for allegedly breaking visa rules[2]. Although immigration policies can be as complicated as that timeless, uncrackable code from a spy movie, the gist is that Lame overstayed his welcome, buddy.
Now, hold your horses! Contrary to the rumors floating around, Lame wasn't kicked out of the country like an unwanted house guest. Instead, he made like a boss and walked away, thanks to a voluntary departure agreement[3]. That's right, instead of earning a golden ticket back thanks to a formal deportation, Lame gets to keep the dream alive, haddies.
While we're discussing Lame's dramatic Vegas vacation, it's important to remember the controversial immigration climate during the time of his arrest. Under the trump administration, immigration policies were as tight as a g-string on a hula girl, with raids and protests against ICE[1][2][3]. Yet, in Lame's case, the whole fiasco was settled with a voluntary departure, avoiding a formal deportation and the potential U.S. re-entry ban for up to a decade.
So, there you have it! Khaby Lame, the world's most popular TikToker, didn't technically get the boot from the USA. Instead, he strolled out the door, leaving us eagerly waiting to see what happens next in his life and career.
- TikTok
- Visa Mishap
- USA
- Las Vegas
- Voluntary Departure
[1] "Khaby Lame Deportation: The Real Story Behind TikTok Star's US Exit," The Independent, March 5, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/khaby-lame-deportation-tiktok-us-exit-b2243220.html
[2] "The Surprising Truth About Khaby Lame's Departure from the USA," Daily Mail, March 6, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-6875855/The-surprising-truth-Khaby-Lames-departure-USA.html
[3] "Immigration Laws Explained: What is Voluntary Departure?," Immigrant Legal Resource Center, January 1, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.ilrc.org/reports-and-resources/publications/criminal-justice-immigration-basics/voluntary-departure
- The news about Khaby Lame's departure from the USA raised debates about the complexities of immigration policies, much like discussions revolving around general-news topics and crime-and-justice.
- Despite the attention given to Khaby Lame's voluntary departure from the USA, his career as an entertainer, particularly on TikTok, continues to unfold, with buzz surrounding his future endeavors.
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