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The
Senegalese-Italian influencer, whose legal name is Seringe
Khabane Lame, was detained Friday at Harry Reid International
Airport but was allowed to leave the country without a
deportation order, a spokesperson for U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement confirmed in a statement.
Lame arrived in the U.S. on April 30 and “overstayed the terms
of his visa,” the ICE spokesperson said. The Associated Press
sent a message seeking comment Tuesday to the email address
listed on Lame’s Instagram account. He has not publicly
commented on his detainment.
His detainment and voluntary departure from the U.S. comes amid
President Donald Trump’s escalating crackdown on immigration,
including raids in Los Angeles that sparked days of protests
against ICE, as the president tests the bounds of his executive
authority.
A voluntary departure — which was granted to Lame — allows those
facing removal from the U.S. to avoid a deportation order on
their immigration record, which could prevent them from being
allowed back into the U.S. for up to a decade.
The 25-year-old rose to international fame during the pandemic
without ever saying a word in his videos, which would show him
reacting to absurdly complicated “life hacks." He has over 162
million followers on TikTok alone.
The Senegal-born influencer moved to Italy when he was an infant
with his working class parents and has Italian citizenship.
His internet fame quickly evolved. He signed a multi-year
partnership with designer brand Hugo Boss in 2022. In January,
he was appointed as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador.
Last month, he attended the Met Gala in New York City, days
after arriving in the U.S.
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