British far-right figure Milo Yiannopoulos has been detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Louisiana. Yiannopoulos, known for his involvement in American conservative politics for over a decade, is being held in ICE custody pending removal from the country.
While the exact detention facility remains unclear, ICE has directed any family or legal representatives to contact their Enforcement and Removal Office in Alexandria, Louisiana. A spokesperson for the US Department of Homeland Security confirmed Yiannopoulos legally entered the US in May 2019 but overstayed his visa. An immigration judge issued a final order of removal on July 22 after Yiannopoulos failed to appear for his immigration hearing.
Yiannopoulos, who has never been a US citizen, previously worked in the US, reportedly on an O-1 visa for individuals with extraordinary abilities. He gained prominence at Breitbart News from 2014 to 2017 before departing following controversial remarks. He has since been associated with various right-wing figures and events, including a 2022 dinner with Kanye West, Nick Fuentes, and Donald Trump.
The provocateur has had a dynamic personal and political journey. After marrying his long-term boyfriend in 2017, he later claimed to have become heterosexual and Roman Catholic, announcing plans for a gay conversion therapy facility. He has worked with figures like Nick Fuentes and Marjorie Taylor Greene, and served as a spokesman for Kanye West's presidential campaign, though he later distanced himself from West after the rapper espoused controversial beliefs.
Yiannopoulos has frequently engaged in public disputes, including with Islamophobic conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer. Loomer took partial credit for his detention, posting on X that she had reported him for being in the US illegally. Notably, Yiannopoulos himself had recently advocated for mass deportations on his social media account.
