Milo Yiannopoulos, a British provocateur known for promoting far-right conspiracies and racism in the United States, was deported to Britain on Friday, the Department of Homeland Security announced.
Mr. Yiannopoulos, an early supporter of Donald J. Trump who later assisted the rapper formerly known as Kanye West in exploring a presidential bid, was arrested on Thursday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.
According to the DHS, Mr. Yiannopoulos entered the country legally in 2019 but overstayed his visa. An immigration judge issued a final deportation order in July after he failed to appear for his hearing.
The DHS released a mug shot of Mr. Yiannopoulos online, warning other immigrants to “take control of their departure” by self-deporting.
The Trump administration has increasingly targeted foreign citizens at American airports, with immigration agents removing individuals at check-in counters and arrival gates based on information provided to the Transportation Security Administration by airlines.
Mr. Yiannopoulos did not respond to requests for comment. He had resided in the United States for over a decade, having joined the staff of Breitbart News on a nonimmigrant visa designated for individuals with “extraordinary ability.”
He has frequently pushed the boundaries of his provocations with incendiary remarks targeting Islam, feminism, and immigrants.
Mr. Yiannopoulos has also embraced Mr. Trump’s mass deportation campaign. On social media last year, he called for the “on the spot deportation” of individuals who could not prove their legal presence in the country.
His deportation comes a decade after he became an early and prominent supporter of Mr. Trump’s initial presidential campaign.
Once an emerging star in the new conservative culture shaped by Mr. Trump, Mr. Yiannopoulos fell from right-wing favor in 2017. This occurred after he condoned sexual relations with boys as young as 13 while downplaying pedophilia by Roman Catholic priests. Those remarks reportedly cost him a book deal, his position at Breitbart, and an invitation to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
In 2022, Mr. Yiannopoulos claimed to have arranged a dinner attended by Mr. Trump, Mr. West, and white supremacist Nick Fuentes. Two years later, Mr. Yiannopoulos joined an exploratory presidential campaign for Mr. West—then known as Ye—amid controversies over antisemitic remarks, including praise for Adolf Hitler.
That same year, Mr. Yiannopoulos made headlines for serving as an intern for Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican who later resigned following a public falling out with Mr. Trump.
Laura Loomer, a right-wing activist and associate of Mr. Trump, had been calling since late 2024 for the deportation of Mr. Yiannopoulos, a former ally. Ms. Loomer has since claimed credit for the arrest.
“Loomered!” she declared, using a term she applies to individuals who have been fired, deported, or reprimanded by the Trump administration following her calls to action. “I have been saying this should happen for a long time, and now it did.”
Mr. Yiannopoulos was banned from the platform then known as Twitter in 2016 for leading a harassment campaign against a Black actress. He was reinstated in 2022 after Elon Musk purchased the platform and renamed it X.
Mr. Yiannopoulos posts almost daily on the platform and has yet to publicly comment on his deportation.
