This week, a teenage Trump supporter publicly boasted about helping to get one of the most popular social media figures in the world arrested by immigration officials, sparking a frenzy on the internet. The scandal has sparked a heated discussion about accountability and privilege.
According to NPR, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested Khabane “Khaby” Lame, a 25-year-old Senegalese-Italian influencer whose true name is Seringe Khabane Lame, on June 6 at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas for allegedly overstaying his visa.
Weeks before his arrest, Lame had gone to the Met Gala after gaining legal entry on April 30. Lame came lawfully, but he stayed past the duration of his visa, according to ICE officials. In order to escape a deportation order that might have prevented him from returning for up to ten years, he was allowed voluntary departure and departed that same day.
When 18-year-old Bo Loudon came out in a recently circulated online video to take credit for Lame’s imprisonment, the narrative took an unexpected turn. In an interview with Sean Kelly’s Digital Hour podcast, Loudon—who is reportedly the “best friend” of President Trump’s youngest son, Barron Trump—described his involvement and reiterated information he had previously disclosed in early June.
“Yes, I had some buddies who work closely with him on several major contracts and things. They were all telling me that there’s several red flags with this guy. He admitted that he was in the country illegally, on an expired visa, and entered the country like 49 times. So I just flagged it to a buddy of mine and the administration at Homeland Security,” Loudon explained.
With more than 200,000 followers on X and 350,000 on Instagram, Bo Loudon, the son of conservative commentator Gina Loudon and former Missouri Senator John Loudon, has established a significant online presence.
TikTok star Khaby Lame was detained by ICE in Las Vegas and granted “voluntary departure.” 😳 pic.twitter.com/YcVVj1pCRA
— My Mixtapez (@mymixtapez) June 8, 2025
Vanity Fair reported that he leveraged his Trump family ties to influence young male voters during the 2024 campaign. Loudon boasted about the government’s response speed after his tip. “I just called some buddies in the administration, and I’ve never seen anything happen so quick,” he recalled. “They were like, ‘We’re gonna get right on this.’” He had also posted on social media that he had been “working with the patriots at President Trump’s DHS to make this happen.”
Critics quickly criticized the discovery, calling it a mockery of someone’s immigrant status. D.L. Hughley didn’t hold back, posting a clip from the interview and writing, “YOU’RE LAME AF!! HE WAS BORN WITH THAT NAME… YOU FKN EARNED IT!!! CORNY AF!!” on social media, echoing widespread outrage.
MAGA Influencer @BoLoudon Celebrates Snitching on Tiktok Star Shabby Lame To Homeland Security.
Bo Loudon, a self-proclaimed MAGA influencer, is facing heavy backlash after proudly taking credit for TikTok superstar Khaby Lame’s recent Ice arrest. During an appearance on the… pic.twitter.com/mB2aiztjpi
— Ryan Shead (@RyanShead) July 19, 2025
One social media user responded to the disclosure by writing, “Note who is doing what to whom.” Others were unreserved in their evaluation of Loudon’s personality. I’ve seen it all, damn it. Another person wrote, “An ICE Karen.”
“No one is surprised that this guy did this he has the complexion for the protection,” one individual said, pointing to deeper concerns of privilege. “He’s so proud of himself that no one will remember you, dude,” another person commented.
Lame, the subject of this dispute, became the silent TikTok king, captivating over 162 million followers globally with his quiet responses to ridiculous life hacks. Despite cultural hurdles, he became a beloved character due to his quick ascent from viral content to becoming the most-followed TikTok celebrity.
Meet far-left TikTok star “Khaby Lame.”
He’s an ILLEGAL ALIEN!
I’ve been working with the patriots at President Trump’s DHS to make this happen.
He was just ARRESTED in Vegas and is in ICE CUSTODY!
To verify, go to ICE’s Locator, type the A-number, and Senegal as country. pic.twitter.com/Xx7UVfTgqR
— Bo Loudon (@BoLoudon) June 7, 2025
Three days before to his arrest, on June 3, he made his last post before going missing. He hilariously subverted a popular fad in which kids hurled their phones into buckets by only throwing the phone case. The video had his trademark style and was captioned, “Sorry teacher, I am never going to bring my phone to school again,” with the hashtag #learnfromkhaby.
Lame returned to Instagram with a humorous soccer video featuring Brazilian football player Neymar after an 11-day hiatus that left his enormous fan base wondering where he was. “Yes, it was a good dream… I dribbled Neymar. Then I woke up and he told me, ‘Go get me some water,’” he posted, attempting to return to normalcy.
The episode has brought up more general issues regarding social media impact, immigration enforcement, and the real-world repercussions of online behavior.
