British far-right commentator Milo Yiannopoulos arrested by ICE in U.S.

Controversial British far-right commentator Milo Yiannopoulos was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in New Orleans on Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security announced Friday.

Immigration officials stated that Yiannopoulos was apprehended at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. They accuse him of overstaying his visa after entering the United States legally in May 2019 through New York City. A DHS spokesperson confirmed in an emailed statement, “He chose to overstay his welcome in violation of our nation's laws.”

An immigration judge had issued a final order of removal on July 22, reportedly because Yiannopoulos failed to appear for his immigration hearing. ICE's online detainee locator does not specify his current location but directs inquiries to the agency's office in Alexandria, Louisiana.

Yiannopoulos, who has recently been associated with rapper Ye (formerly Kanye West), is known for his conservative activism and provocative critiques of feminism, Islam, and immigrants. He has also expressed strong support for former President Donald Trump's immigration policies. His arrest occurs amid a national increase in detentions as part of the Trump administration's immigration enforcement efforts.

Far-right activist Laura Loomer publicly applauded Yiannopoulos's arrest, referencing past public disagreements and accusing him of being in the U.S. illegally and inciting violence. Yiannopoulos rose to prominence as a writer for Breitbart News before resigning in 2017 following controversy over remarks endorsing pedophilia, for which he later apologized.

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He chose to overstay his welcome in violation of our nation's laws.