British political commentator Milo Yiannopoulos has been deported from the United States to his native UK following an arrest this week by ICE.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesman told NBC News on Saturday that Yiannopoulos had been removed from the country one day after being arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport on Friday.
While the political commentator is said to have entered the United States legally in 2019, DHS said Yiannopoulos overstayed his visa.
Despite publicly opposing illegal immigration, he is said to have failed to attend an immigration hearing regarding his status in July.
Therefore, an immigration judge issued a deportation order on July 22nd.
Following his arrest on Friday, DHS said that Yiannopoulos “chose to overstay his welcome in violation of our nation’s laws.”
“Being in detention is a choice. We encourage all illegal aliens to take control of their departure with the CBP Home App. The United States is offering illegal aliens $3,000 and a free flight to self-deport now,” the department said.
“We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right legal way to live the American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return.”
Yiannopoulos, a former Breitbart employee, left Breitbart News in February 2017.
While DHS did not specifically comment on whether Yiannopoulos will be allowed to return to the United States, the department noted in its statement that illegal migrants who fail to self-deport “will be arrested and deported without a chance to return.”