Milo Yiannopoulos, a far-right political commentator, reportedly detained by ICE

Far-right British political commentator Milo Yiannopoulos has been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Louisiana following an overstay of his legal status in the country, federal officials confirmed on Friday.

According to a statement from a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, Yiannopoulos was taken into custody on Thursday at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. The spokesperson noted that while Yiannopoulos initially entered the United States legally in May 2019, he chose to overstay his visa in violation of federal immigration laws.

Federal authorities revealed that an immigration judge had previously issued a final order of removal for Yiannopoulos on July 22. That ruling was handed down after the commentator failed to show up for a required immigration court hearing. Officials stated that Yiannopoulos will remain in ICE custody until he is removed from the United States, emphasizing the administration's ongoing efforts to ensure individuals residing in the country illegally are processed for deportation.

As of Friday afternoon, official records in ICE's online detainee database confirmed that Yiannopoulos was in federal custody. The database verified his nationality as a citizen of the United Kingdom, though it did not specify the exact facility where he was being detained. Media reports, including coverage by Fox News, indicated that Yiannopoulos is being held at a detention center in Alexandria, Louisiana.

It remains unclear specifically why Yiannopoulos was traveling through Louisiana at the time of his arrest. However, his presence in the state coincided with a scheduled Friday evening concert performance in New Orleans by the music artist Ye, formerly known as Kanye West. Yiannopoulos previously served on Ye's 2024 White House campaign team.

Yiannopoulos first gained public prominence as an editor for the right-wing publication Breitbart News. In addition to his work with Ye, he worked as an intern in 2022 for Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who was then a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Throughout his political career, Yiannopoulos has publicly endorsed harsh immigration enforcement measures. In social media statements made last year, he advocated for widespread checkpoints to catch and deport non-citizens, writing in June 2025 that California needed ICE checkpoints at grocery stores, gas stations, and government buildings to immediately deport individuals unable to prove legal status.

Following reports of the airport arrest on Friday, far-right activist Laura Loomer claimed responsibility for alerting federal authorities. Loomer, an ally of Donald Trump, stated on social media that she had personally reported Yiannopoulos to ICE prior to his detention.