British commentator Milo Yiannopoulos, known for his far-right views on immigration and culture, was arrested by U.S. immigration authorities and deported to the United Kingdom after officials said he was living in the country illegally. The Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement said ICE took him into custody Aug. 27 at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and later removed him from the United States.
According to DHS, Yiannopoulos legally entered the U.S. in May 2019 but overstayed his authorized period. ICE said an immigration judge issued a final order of removal on July 22 after he failed to appear at a scheduled hearing. DHS told NPR he was returned to the U.K. on Friday following the order.
Yiannopoulos rose to prominence as a provocative online and media figure who built a reputation attacking political correctness, feminism and Islam. He attracted controversy and accusations of links to white nationalist movements. He broke with some expectations for far-right figures by being openly gay.
His public career includes a 2017 resignation from the conservative website Breitbart News after a video surfaced in which he appeared to endorse sexual relationships between adult men and younger boys; he later apologized. That year he also led a tour of college campuses that drew sizable student protests and criticism for statements many considered inflammatory. Other controversies have included a scholarship he promoted for young white men.
Yiannopoulos has worked with high-profile right-wing figures: he interned for Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in 2022 and was involved in the short-lived presidential campaign of Ye (formerly Kanye West). He has been an outspoken supporter of aggressive immigration enforcement, at times calling for mass deportations.
In recent years his ties to Greene and some public criticisms of former President Trump alienated him from parts of the MAGA movement. Greene resigned from Congress earlier this year after a public falling-out with Trump. Conservative activist Laura Loomer said on social media that she had urged authorities to act against Yiannopoulos, accusing him of inciting violence and highlighting his work for Greene; Loomer did not provide specifics about the alleged conduct.
Yiannopoulos has also publicly criticized Trump, saying the former president was influenced by powerful interests on issues such as Israel. DHS said it would not permit people in the country unlawfully to travel freely around the United States; Yiannopoulos did not immediately respond to requests for comment.