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By Hollie Silverman
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Milo Yiannopoulos, a far-right commentator and former Breitbart News editor with ties to President Donald Trump and rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, was deported by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Friday after being taken into custody in Louisiana, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Newsweek in an email Saturday.
On Sunday, he broke his silence with a post on X, replying to a sponsored ad for KFC's Dirty Louisiana Burger as something he might like, writing, "oh f*** off."
The spokesperson said that Yiannopoulos was "an illegal alien from the United Kingdom" and was sent "back to his home country."
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He was arrested by ICE at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) in Kenner, Louisiana, according to the spokesperson, who noted that "Yiannopoulos legally entered the country on May 14, 2019, through New York City, New York."
"He chose to overstay his welcome in violation of our nation’s laws," the spokesperson continued.
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For years, Yiannopoulos was a vocal supporter of stricter immigration enforcement, often criticizing illegal immigration and backing mass deportation policies championed by Trump and other immigration hardliners.
A final order of removal was issued July 22 by an immigration judge after Yiannopoulos failed to show up for an immigration hearing, according to the DHS spokesperson.
Newsweek has reached out to Yiannopoulos by email Saturday.
"DHS reversed the horrendous Biden-era policy that allowed aliens in our country illegally to jet around our country. Under President Trump, DHS will no longer tolerate this," the spokesperson said. "This administration is working diligently to ensure that aliens in our country illegally can no longer fly unless it is out of our country to self-deport."
Yiannopoulos said in 2017, after resigning as an editor from Breitbart News, that he owned an O-1 visa, which works as a temporary work permit for people with “extraordinary ability or achievement in fields like science, business, education, athletics, or the arts.”
His removal also comes as the Trump administration continues a sweeping immigration crackdown that has dramatically increased arrests and deportations since Trump returned to office in January 2025.
According to data from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and ICE, roughly 590,600 deportations have been recorded between Trump's return to office and July 11, 2026.
The administration has framed the effort as part of what Trump has called the largest deportation campaign in U.S. history, while critics argue it has swept up significant numbers of immigrants with no criminal records.
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Yiannopoulos' Past Support for Deportation
Yiannopoulos has previously been vocal in his support of ICE and deportations, writing in an X post in June 2025 that 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."
Yiannopoulos wrote on X last year: “Zero immigration for the next 20 years. No ifs, no buts.”
In an interview with podcaster Joe Rogan in 2016, he said he supported deportation but clarified, "I mean bad immigrants," adding, "I don't mean handsome, charming, successful, blonde-haired British immigrants….It's about culture."
His own deportation has drawn attention since it mirrors the type of immigration enforcement he previously advocated. DHS said he was ordered removed after overstaying his visa and failing to attend an immigration hearing.
The department encouraged undocumented immigrants to leave voluntarily through the CBP Home app, which it said offers financial assistance and transportation for those who choose to self-deport.
Meanwhile, conservative political activist Laura Loomer claimed credit for Yiannopoulos' ICE detention, resharing a post from March in which she'd accused him of living in the U.S. with an expired visa. "Milo Yiannopoulos is in ICE custody after I exposed his illegal alien lifestyle," the Trump ally wrote on X.
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, also said on X Friday, "Milo Yiannopoulos deserves full due process, and like everyone else, should not be subject to abusive conditions in detention. But he appears to be reaping what he has sowed, so I can't find myself sympathetic."
Where Is Milo Yiannopoulos From?
Yiannopoulos was born in Kent, England, and is a British citizen. Before becoming a prominent figure in U.S. conservative politics, he built a career in the United Kingdom as a technology journalist and commentator. He later moved to the United States, where he gained national attention through his work at Breitbart News and his support for Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.
His profile grew rapidly during the rise of the alt-right movement, with speaking tours, media appearances and a large social media following helping make him one of the era's most recognizable conservative commentators. While his influence declined after a series of controversies, he remained active in right-wing political circles and later resurfaced through his work with Ye, running a short-lived 2024 presidential campaign for the rapper.
Yiannopoulos stepped away from the campaign in December 2022 after the rapper made antisemitic comments that Ye has since apologized for.
Contact Newsweek editors for this story: Jenni Fink and Anthony Murray.
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