Milo Yiannopoulos, Far-Right Provocateur, Detained by ICE for Overstaying Visa

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has detained far-right provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos for overstaying his visa, the Department of Homeland Security announced on Friday. The British national, who legally entered the country on May 14, 2019, was apprehended Thursday at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) in Kenner, Louisiana.

Immigration judge ordered Yiannopoulos' removal on July 22, and he is currently held in ICE custody pending his deportation. Yiannopoulos gained notoriety during the 2016 presidential campaign and rose to prominence at Breitbart, becoming one of the most recognizable, yet controversial, figures in far-right media. He resigned from Breitbart in 2017 following the resurfacing of a video where he appeared to condone sexual relationships between adults and minors.

His controversial commentary targeted Muslims, immigrants, feminists, and other groups, and led to his suspension from the Conservative Political Action Conference and cancellation of his planned book by Simon & Schuster. Yiannopoulos has also been involved in various confrontational appearances on college campuses and tweeting antisemitic messages around Kanye West's (Ye) public apology for his own antisemitic statements. His detention follows years of supporting aggressive immigration-enforcement policies.