British political commentator Milo Yiannopoulos will remain in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody until he is removed from the United States after overstaying his authorized stay and failing to appear for an immigration hearing, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Milo Yiannopoulos is expected to be removed from the United States after federal immigration authorities arrested him in Louisiana, with the Department of Homeland Security warning that people who remain in the country illegally and are deported may lose the opportunity to return legally.
DHS confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Yiannopoulos, a British national, at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport on Aug. 27.
According to the department, Yiannopoulos legally entered the United States through New York City on May 14, 2019, but remained in the country after his authorized period of stay expired.
“He chose to overstay his welcome in violation of our nation’s laws,” DHS said.
An immigration judge subsequently issued a final removal order against Yiannopoulos on July 22 after he failed to appear for an immigration hearing.
DHS said he will remain in ICE custody until authorities remove him from the country.
In a post addressing Yiannopoulos’ arrest, the department contrasted detention and deportation with its voluntary self-departure program.
“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,” DHS said.
The department said people who voluntarily leave through the CBP Home App may preserve the possibility of returning to the United States legally in the future.
“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.”
The department did not explicitly state that Yiannopoulos himself has been permanently barred from returning to the United States.
Its warning, however, was issued in connection with his arrest and stated that people who decline voluntary departure and are instead arrested and deported can lose the chance to return.
Yiannopoulos’ case therefore differs from migrants who leave voluntarily through the CBP Home App before being taken into custody and formally removed.
Under DHS’s current program, eligible people who self-deport are being offered $3,000 and a free flight out of the United States while potentially preserving a future path to lawful reentry.
Yiannopoulos had already been ordered removed before his airport arrest.
The July 22 final removal order followed his failure to appear for an immigration proceeding, according to DHS.
ICE then took him into custody slightly more than a month later at the New Orleans airport.
Federal authorities have said he will remain detained until the removal process is completed.
DHS’s statements make clear that Yiannopoulos entered the country legally in 2019 but later violated immigration law by remaining beyond the period he had been authorized to stay.
The department’s broader message accompanying his detention was aimed at encouraging other people who are unlawfully present in the United States to leave voluntarily before facing arrest and forced removal.
Whether Yiannopoulos will ultimately face a permanent prohibition on returning was not specifically addressed by DHS.
What the department has confirmed is that he is subject to a final removal order, remains in ICE custody and is expected to be deported from the United States.
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