U.S. officials announced Saturday that political commentator Milo Yiannopoulos was deported to the United Kingdom on Friday. The action followed his arrest by immigration authorities on Thursday for overstaying his visa. Yiannopoulos, a British citizen, had previously expressed public support for strict immigration enforcement.
The deportation follows a legal process that began after Yiannopoulos entered the United States in May 2019. According to a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), an immigration judge issued a final order of removal for Yiannopoulos on July 22 after he failed to appear for an immigration hearing.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested Yiannopoulos at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in Louisiana. Reports indicated he was in the city ahead of a concert by the artist formerly known as Kanye West, now known as Ye, for whom Yiannopoulos has performed political and corporate work. Following his arrest, he was detained by ICE before being returned to his home country.
A DHS spokesperson stated that the agency is reversing previous policies that allowed individuals in the country illegally to travel domestically by air. The spokesperson stated, "Under President Trump, DHS will no longer tolerate this," and added that the agency intends to ensure that such individuals can only fly if they are departing the country or self-deporting.
The enforcement action followed a change in Yiannopoulos' status to a person subject to a final order of removal. Yiannopoulos previously advocated for "on the spot deportation" and "ICE checkpoints" on social media. The DHS has indicated it will continue working to restrict domestic air travel for those in the country illegally.