Controversial former Breitbart editor Milo Yiannopoulos was deported to the United Kingdom one day after ICE agents arrested him at a Louisiana airport.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said he overstayed his welcome in the United States and skipped an immigration hearing.
In a new statement, the DHS said Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported Yiannopoulos Friday, one day after agents arrested the British national at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in Kenner, Louisiana.
Yiannopoulos was then held in ICE custody in Alexandria, Louisiana, a major hub for the agency’s deportation operations, before his removal from the country.
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DHS said Yiannopoulos legally entered the United States through New York City May 14, 2019, but remained after his authorized stay expired.
An immigration judge issued him a final order of removal on July 22 after he failed to appear for his immigration hearing, according to the agency.
“Yiannopoulos legally entered the country on May 14, 2019, through New York City, New York. He chose to overstay his welcome in violation of our nation’s laws,” DHS said.
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The agency used Yiannopoulos’ removal to issue a broader warning to illegal immigrants and tout the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies.
DHS said it reversed a Biden administration policy that it claimed allowed illegal immigrants to fly around the country, adding that the department will no longer permit such travel unless it is tied to a departure from the United States.
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“Under President Trump, DHS will no longer tolerate this,” the agency said. “This administration is working diligently to ensure that aliens in our country illegally can no longer fly unless it is out of our country to self-deport.”
DHS urged illegal immigrants to use the CBP Home app to arrange their own departures, saying the federal government is offering $3,000 and a free flight to those who leave voluntarily.
“Being in detention is a choice,” DHS said, adding that people who use the app may preserve a chance to return to the United States legally in the future.
Those who do not leave voluntarily, the agency warned, will be arrested and deported without a chance to return.
Yiannopoulos rose to national prominence as a provocative political commentator and former editor at Breitbart News. He drew national attention for his provocative speeches and online commentary, including appearances that sparked protests at UC Berkeley.
Fox News’ Bill Melugin and Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.
