TikTok Star Khaby Lame Leaves US After Visa Trouble

From TikTok fame to immigration trouble under Trump’s new punitive policies: Khaby Lame quietly exits the US.

Fez– He doesn’t say much in his videos, but Khaby Lame’s silent expressions have spoken volumes to millions around the world.

This week, however, in a story that has become too often the norm, it was United States immigration officials who had the last word.

On June 6, the Senegalese-Italian TikTok sensation was briefly detained by ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement) at Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport for overstaying his visa.

He had entered the US on April 30 and, according to officials, exceeded the duration permitted.

The 25-year-old was granted what’s called “voluntary departure,” meaning he avoided formal deportation proceedings but had to leave the country. He did so swiftly and quietly.

Khaby Lame hasn’t made a public comment yet, nor has he addressed the incident on his social platforms.

That’s notable for someone who’s built an empire out of wordless, expressive commentary.

With 162 million followers on TikTok alone, Lame holds the top spot globally, known for debunking unnecessarily complicated internet hacks with simple, universal gestures, and that now-iconic shrug with palms up and wide eyes that say it all.

But even viral fame doesn’t make you immune to bureaucratic reality. The timing is also telling: since returning to office in January, President Donald Trump has doubled down on aggressive immigration policies.

Mass deportation efforts have been reinstated, and several aspects of these measures are currently being challenged in US courts.

Lame’s run-in with ICE appears to be a high-profile side effect of this renewed crackdown.

It’s a strange twist in the story of someone who rose from a factory worker to global celebrity.

Just a few years ago, Khaby was living in a housing project in Chivasso, near Turin, having lost his job in early 2020 during the pandemic.

With nothing but time and a phone, he started making short, soundless videos from his bedroom. The premise? Reacting to over-the-top tutorials with simple, no-nonsense solutions.

It worked. The internet fell in love with his dry delivery and universally relatable humor.

His rise was meteoric, and lucrative. Between June 2022 and September 2023, Forbes estimated that he earned $16.5 million in brand deals alone. In January, UNICEF named him a goodwill ambassador.

But even the internet’s king of common sense needs to keep an eye on paperwork.

For now, it looks like Khaby will be continuing his quiet comedy somewhere other than the U.S.at least until the visa situation is sorted.

And if he ever chooses to address the incident? Don’t expect a press release. Expect a smirk, a sigh, and a pair of outstretched hands that say, “really”?