Milo Yiannopoulos, a far-right blogger and former “chief of staff” to American rapper Kanye West, was taken into custody by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), CBS News reports. According to the channel, the British citizen now faces deportation.
ICE arrested Yiannopoulos in New Orleans, where West is scheduled to perform his first concert in 13 years on Friday, August 28. According to TMZ, the blogger was detained immediately upon arrival at the airport and sent to a temporary detention center in Louisiana. The US Department of Homeland Security has not yet commented on the specific reasons for the arrest.
Yiannopoulos, 41, previously held a number of positions with West, also known as Ye. In particular, he headed the artist’s campaign headquarters when he decided to run for president of the United States in 2024.
That same year, he was appointed “chief of staff” at the rapper’s fashion house, but resigned from this position in protest of West’s plans to open a porn studio. Recently, the blogger has appeared in the media as the performer’s press secretary.
Before collaborating with West, the Briton worked for some time as an assistant to Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, editor of the far-right publication Breitbart, and was also remembered for a number of statements that drew sharp criticism.
Yiannopoulos, in particular, spoke out in support of sexual relations with teenagers, explaining that he himself was abused as a child, and also spoke out against Islam and feminism. In 2021, he announced that he had changed his sexual orientation, despite previously being married to a man.
West's spokesman also called the rapper's public support of Nazism and Adolf Hitler last year “art.” West subsequently apologized for his remarks, linking them to worsening bipolar disorder.
