Milo Yiannopoulos, the British far-right commentator, was taken into custody by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport on Thursday, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
A DHS spokesperson said on Friday that Yiannopoulos legally entered the country in May 2019 but "chose to overstay his welcome in violation of our nation's laws." The spokesperson added that Yiannopoulos was issued a final order of removal by an immigration judge on July 22, "after failing to show up for his immigration hearing," and that he "will remain in ICE custody pending removal."
Online ICE records listed Yiannopoulos as being in custody as of Friday afternoon, though the facility was not disclosed. Family and legal representatives were directed to contact the ICE field office in Alexandria, Louisiana, which serves as a deportation hub.
DHS posted a photo identified as Yiannopoulos on social media, along with a warning that those overstaying their visas would be "arrested and deported without a chance to return."
Why Was He in Louisiana?
The arrest came as multiple outlets noted that rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, was scheduled to perform in New Orleans on Friday night. TMZ, which first reported the arrest, suggested Yiannopoulos may have been in the city in connection with Ye, with whom he has worked in various capacities, including on Ye's 2024 presidential campaign and as a spokesperson.
It remains unclear why Yiannopoulos was at the airport at the time of his arrest.
Laura Loomer Claims Credit
Far-right activist Laura Loomer, a Donald Trump ally, posted on X on Friday claiming she had reported Yiannopoulos to ICE and the FBI. "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," she wrote, referring to former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who stepped down after a feud with Trump.
Loomer's post came shortly after the arrest became public, and she routinely takes credit for action against those who have fallen out with the president.
Yiannopoulos's Background
Yiannopoulos, 41, gained prominence in the early 2010s as a writer and editor at Breitbart News, where he was associated with the "Gamergate" anti-feminist harassment campaign and frequently targeted feminism and Islam. He resigned from Breitbart in 2017 after a video surfaced in which he appeared to endorse pedophilia; he later apologized and said he was a victim of sexual assault as a minor.
He attracted controversy with a campus tour he branded the "Dangerous F*ggot" bus tour, which drew protests. A 2017 visit to the University of California, Berkeley was canceled after a protest turned violent and destructive, and two Republican students were attacked, the university said at the time.
Yiannopoulos was a vocal supporter of Donald Trump early on, referring to him as "Daddy," but has since fallen out with the Trump movement. Despite this, he voiced support for immigration enforcement as recently as June 2025, posting on X: "California needs ICE checkpoints at supermarket entrances, gas stations, strip malls, intersections and government buildings, with on the spot deportation for anyone who can't prove they are in the US legally."
He was banned from Twitter in 2016 after online attacks on actress Leslie Jones; his account was reinstated after Elon Musk bought the platform. He also faced scrutiny over comments that appeared to condone pedophilia, and he has said he no longer identifies as gay, having previously said he was.
In 2022, he said on Telegram that he was an unpaid intern to Marjorie Taylor Greene. In recent years, he reportedly worked as Ye's chief of staff while the rapper embraced Nazism, antisemitism, and Holocaust denial; Ye later apologized, attributing his actions to bipolar disorder.
In 2019, Yiannopoulos was denied a visa to enter Australia after commenting on the Christchurch mosque massacre, which killed 51 people, all Muslim worshippers, perpetrated by Australian white supremacist Brenton Tarrant.