World-famous TikTok star Khaby Lame leaves US after being held by ICE

Las Vegas: After being detained by immigration officials in Las Vegas for allegedly overstaying his visa, Khaby Lame, the most well-known TikTok star in the world with millions of followers, has left the United States.

A US Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson said in a statement that the Senegalese-Italian influencer, whose official name is Seringe Khabane Lame, was arrested on Friday at Harry Reid International Airport but was allowed to depart the nation without a deportation order.

Lame arrived in the US on April 30 and "overstayed the terms of his visa," the ICE spokesperson said. The Associated Press sent a message seeking comment on Tuesday to the email address listed on Lame's Instagram account. He has not publicly commented on his detainment.

His detainment and voluntary departure from the US comes amid President Donald Trump's escalating crackdown on immigration, including raids in Los Angeles that sparked days of protests against ICE, as the president tests the bounds of his executive authority.

A voluntary departure — which was granted to Lame — allows those facing removal from the US to avoid a deportation order on their immigration record, which could prevent them from being allowed back into the US for up to a decade, AP reported.

The 25-year-old rose to international fame during the pandemic without ever saying a word in his videos, which would show him reacting to absurdly complicated "life hacks." He has over 162 million followers on TikTok alone.

The Senegal-born influencer moved to Italy when he was an infant with his working-class parents and has Italian citizenship.

His internet fame quickly evolved. He signed a multi-year partnership with designer brand Hugo Boss in 2022. In January, he was appointed as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador.

Last month, he attended the Met Gala in New York City, days after arriving in the US.

With PTI inputs