British far-right commentator Milo Yiannopoulos was deported to the United Kingdom after his arrest by US immigration authorities, US officials said on Saturday. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Yiannopoulos was returned to his home country on Friday after being accused of overstaying after legally entering the U.S. in May 2019. An immigration judge issued a final deportation order on July 22 after he failed to appear for an immigration hearing, a Homeland Security spokesperson said. Yiannopoulos was arrested Thursday at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in Louisiana and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. in violation of our nation’s laws,” a Homeland Security spokesperson said in a statement. Yiannopoulos and his representatives did not respond to requests for comment and have not posted on the social platform Trump, aimed at people who are in the country illegally. Get the latest national news Get the latest Canadian news in your inbox as it happens so you don’t miss any breaking news. “Zero immigration for the next 20 years. No ifs ands or buts,” Yiannopoulos said on He apologized for the comments and said he himself was a victim of sexual assault as a minor. Yiannopoulos’ arrest and deportation comes amid a surge in detentions nationwide as part of Trump’s immigration crackdown. In social media posts, the Department of Homeland Security touted Yiannopoulos’ arrest and posted a photo of him. It added that it encourages people who are in the country illegally to leave voluntarily, saying the United States offers. “$3,000 and a free flight to self-deport.” “We encourage everyone who is here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the opportunity to return to the United States in the correct legal way to live the American dream. If not, they will be arrested and deported with no chance of return,” the department said. More on US news More videos Story continues below ad The department did not respond Saturday to questions seeking more details about Yiannopoulos’ legal entry into the US in 2019, including whether he was granted a visa. Controversy has swirled around the provocateur for years. Far-right conservative activist Laura Loomer quickly took to social media to applaud the arrest of Yiannopoulos after years of public feuds between the two personalities. “I was the first person to report on the fact that Milo was in the United States illegally, where he incited violence against President Trump and worked for Marjorie Traitor Greene,” Loomer said on Students protested his appearances and accused him of hate speech, while others celebrated him as a champion of free speech. Around that time, Buzzfeed reported on Yiannopoulos’ cozy relationships with self-proclaimed white nationalists. In recent years, Yiannopoulos continued to work in the orbit of conservative activism. In 2022, he served as an intern for former U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, according to the Washington Post. 2024 for Ye. More recently, Yiannopoulos has worked as a spokesperson for Ye, who has been dogged by his own controversy following anti-Semitic comments for which the rapper has since apologized © 2026 The Canadian Press.