Milo Yiannopoulos detained by ICE in Louisiana, awaiting deportation

Laura Loomer, a conservative activist and ally of President Donald Trump, called the arrest of Milo Yiannopoulos "a great day for America" in a post on X on Friday. Loomer also took credit for reporting Yiannopoulos's immigration status to the Trump administration. "I was the first person to report on the fact that Milo was in the U.S. illegally where he incited violence against President Trump and worked for Marjorie Traitor Greene," she wrote, according to Courthouse News.

Yiannopoulos, a 41-year-old British citizen, was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Thursday at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in Kenner, Louisiana, according to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security. The DHS referred to him as an "illegal alien from the United Kingdom" and said he legally entered the U.S. on May 14, 2019, through New York City.

The arrest followed a final order of removal issued by an immigration judge on July 22 after Yiannopoulos failed to appear for his immigration hearing, DHS said. The agency added that he "chose to overstay his welcome in violation of our nation's laws" and will remain in ICE custody pending removal. Online records show Yiannopoulos is currently in ICE custody as of Friday, according to Billboard.

Yiannopoulos, a former editor of Breitbart News and onetime employee of rapper Kanye West, now known as Ye, has been a vocal supporter of mass deportations. In July, he called for ICE agents to be stationed at supermarkets and government buildings in California "with on the spot deportation for anyone who can't prove they are in the U.S. legally," Billboard reported. Last year, he wrote on X: "Total legal immunity for ICE agents when they're on duty," according to the BBC.

The Department of Homeland Security used language it has long employed in discussing deportations. "Being in detention is a choice," the agency wrote in a statement, according to Courthouse News. "The United States is offering illegal aliens $3,000 and a free flight to self-deport now. We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right legal way to live the American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return."

Yiannopoulos rose to prominence in 2014 as an editor at Breitbart, where he was a central figure in the Gamergate controversy. He left the publication in 2017 after video emerged of him saying sex between 13-year-old boys and adults could be "perfectly consensual." Yiannopoulos said at the time that he condemned sexual abuse, according to Courthouse News. More recently, he served as a spokesperson, chief of staff and head of special projects for Yeezy, and worked on Ye's 2024 presidential campaign.

It is unclear whether Yiannopoulos was in Louisiana to attend Ye's performance at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Friday night. NBC News reported that it is unclear if Yiannopoulos was in the state to attend the concert. If deported, Yiannopoulos could be banned from reentering the United States for between five years and the rest of his life, according to KALB.