The Trump administration deported far-right provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos to the United Kingdom less than a day after his arrest in New Orleans. The Department of Homeland Security said ICE sent Yiannopoulos back to his home country on August 28. According to the department, an Immigration Judge issued a final removal order on July 22 after he failed to attend his immigration hearing.
Yiannopoulos, who became known for editing Breitbart and for speaking on college campuses during Trump’s first term, was detained at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport on Thursday. The Independent was unable to reach him for comment.
Laura Loomer, one of the Trump administration’s influential unofficial advisers, said the detention was “100%” the result of her own tip. Loomer alleged that Yiannopoulos had made threatening posts and had overstayed his visa and remained in the country illegally.
Yiannopoulos, 41, had previously advocated for strict immigration policies. Yiannopoulos, who was reportedly preparing a book titled Ex Gay for Tucker Carlson’s publishing house, lost the book deal in 2017 over earlier comments. He also helped Ye’s 2024 campaign and said he had invited Nick Fuentes to a dinner at Mar-a-Lago in 2022. Although he resigned from Breitbart following the 2017 scandal, he remained active in right-wing circles; he had previously worked as an unpaid intern for Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Why it matters
Yiannopoulos’s deportation shows that political connections do not provide protection when a figure who previously gained visibility in Trump’s circles fails to fulfill his obligations in the immigration process. The basis for the proceedings is reported to be the final order issued after he failed to attend an immigration hearing, rather than Loomer’s allegations concerning threatening posts. However, the connection between the detention and Loomer’s tip, as well as the allegations of threats and visa violations directed at Yiannopoulos, have not been independently verified; because he could not be reached, his response is not included in the report. The development also shows that, despite Yiannopoulos’s continued activities in right-wing circles, his previous political and media ties did not change his legal status.