Milo Yiannopoulos detained by ICE pending removal from United States

New Orleans, United States. British far-right commentator Milo Yiannopoulos was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement after his arrest on Thursday at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, agency records showed on Friday. The Department of Homeland Security said he is subject to a final removal order and will remain in ICE custody pending removal.

Removal order

Yiannopoulos, 41, is an “illegal alien from the United Kingdom”, according to a DHS statement.

The department said he legally entered the United States through New York City in May 2019 but overstayed in violation of immigration 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,” DHS said.

Yiannopoulos was not immediately available for comment, and it was unclear whether he had legal representation.

New Orleans visit

Celebrity news website TMZ.com, which first reported his arrest, said Yiannopoulos was believed to be in New Orleans ahead of a scheduled performance on Friday night by the hip-hop artist formerly known as Kanye West, with whom he has close ties.

Past commentary and associations

Yiannopoulos is known for far-right commentary, including anti-Islamic rhetoric and support for immigration enforcement beyond the crackdown introduced by US President Donald Trump.

In a June 2025 post on X, he said 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 has also worked with white nationalist Nick Fuentes.

Yiannopoulos began working for right-wing Breitbart News in 2014, gaining notoriety for his role in the Gamergate anti-feminist harassment campaign targeting women in the video game industry.