ICE Arrests Right-Wing Commentator Milo Yiannopoulos in New Orleans

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Friday confirmed it detained right-wing commentator Milo Yiannopoulos in New Orleans.

In a post on X, ICE confirmed the arrest of Yiannopoulos, who has a significant following on social media and had worked previously as a reporter for Breitbart News before later working for rapper Kanye West’s presidential campaign.

It also included a photo of Yiannopoulos in its post, responding to a TMZ report on his arrest.

A citizen of the United Kingdom, Yiannopoulos was arrested at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) in Kenner, Louisiana, on Thursday, said ICE.

The immigration agency added that he legally entered the United States in May 2019 through a New York City point of entry, but “he chose to overstay his welcome in violation of our nation’s laws.”

He was issued a final order of removal by an immigration judge on July 22, ICE said, adding that he had failed to show up for an immigration hearing.

Yiannopoulos will remain in ICE custody pending removal, according to the agency.

“Being in detention is a choice. We encourage all illegal aliens to take control of their departure with the CBP Home App,” the post said.

“The United States is offering illegal aliens $3,000 and a free flight to self-deport now,” ICE said. “We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back.”

It was not clear if Yiannopoulos had legal representation who could speak on his behalf.

The Epoch Times contacted him for comment through his X account, and Yiannopoulos has not publicly commented on the matter.

Yiannopoulos, notably, became a prominent critic of Islam, social justice and diversity initiatives, and feminism, having worked for conservative news website Breitbart News from 2014 to 2017.

In the 2020s, he worked as an intern for Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), then later worked for right-wing commentator Nick Fuentes, as well as rapper Kanye West during his short-lived 2024 presidential campaign.

Yiannopoulos has been a public supporter of ICE’s immigration efforts, including mass deportation.

“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 U.S. legally,” he wrote on X in 2025.

“Total legal immunity for ICE agents when they’re on duty,” he said in September 2025.