Milo Yiannopoulos is detained by ICE in Louisiana

Milo Yiannopoulos, the British far-right political commentator and former Breitbart editor, is in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody after being arrested at the New Orleans airport, the Department of Homeland Security said.

A DHS spokesperson told NBC News that ICE arrested Yiannopoulos on Thursday at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in Kenner, Louisiana. In a statement reported by The Guardian, the spokesperson said Yiannopoulos “legally entered the country” in May 2019 but “chose to overstay his welcome in violation of our nation’s laws.”

The spokesperson said an immigration judge issued a final order of removal against Yiannopoulos on July 22 “after failing to show up for his immigration hearing.”

“He will remain in ICE custody pending removal,” the DHS 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 was listed Friday afternoon in ICE’s online detainee database as being in “ICE Custody,” The Guardian reported. The database states that he was born in the United Kingdom but does not provide additional details, including where he is being held. Fox News reported that Yiannopoulos is currently detained in Alexandria, Louisiana, according to The Guardian.

TMZ first reported Yiannopoulos’ ICE arrest, NBC News reported.

Yiannopoulos became known for his controversial right-wing political views and described himself as a libertarian and professional internet troll. He was formerly an editor at Breitbart, the conservative internet publication that President Donald Trump once considered one of his favorite news sources. Yiannopoulos resigned from Breitbart in 2017 amid backlash to his reported comments about teens and sexual abuse.

He also has ties to Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West. Yiannopoulos previously served as chief of staff during Ye’s efforts to run for president in 2020 and 2024, according to NBC News. The Guardian reported that Yiannopoulos worked on Ye’s 2024 White House campaign. NBC News also reported that he worked at Ye’s clothing brand, Yeezy, but resigned two years ago after the singer announced plans to launch an adult entertainment studio under the Yeezy brand, citing TMZ.

Ye is scheduled to perform Friday night at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. It is unclear whether Yiannopoulos was in Louisiana to attend the concert.

The Guardian reported that Yiannopoulos previously served as an intern for Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former U.S. representative, in 2022. The outlet also reported that last year, in social media posts, Yiannopoulos expressed support for immigration enforcement in the United States.

“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 in a social media post in June 2025, according to The Guardian.

On Friday, Laura Loomer, a far-right activist and ally of Trump, claimed on social media that she had reported Yiannopoulos to ICE and took credit for his detention, The Guardian reported.