Milo Yiannopoulos arrested by ICE, held at major deportation hub in Louisiana

Controversial former Breitbart editor Milo Yiannopoulos has been arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and will remain in federal custody pending his removal from the United States, the Department of Homeland Security told Fox News Digital.

ICE sources told Fox News that Yiannopoulos is currently detained in Alexandria, Louisiana, a major hub used by the agency for deportation operations.

Authorities arrested Yiannopoulos, a United Kingdom national, on Thursday at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in Kenner, according to DHS.

DHS said Yiannopoulos legally entered the U.S. through New York City on May 14, 2019, but remained in the country beyond his authorized stay.

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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) provided a booking photo of Milo Yiannopolous, after he was apprehended Thursday by ICE agents at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. (Courtesy of Department of Homeland Security)

An immigration judge issued Yiannopoulos a final order of removal on July 22, after he failed to appear for his immigration hearing, according to DHS. The agency said he will remain in ICE custody pending removal.

"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 in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Yiannopoulos was arrested at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, according to DHS. (Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images, File)

DHS also used the arrest to tout the Trump administration's immigration policies, saying it had reversed a Biden-era policy that the department said allowed immigrants in the country illegally to travel domestically by air. 

The department also encouraged people in the country illegally to use the CBP Home app to self-deport.

ICE has detained the controversial media personality. (The Orange County Register/ZUMApress.com, File)

ICE's online detainee locator also shows Yiannopoulos in the agency's custody, according to a screenshot reviewed by Fox News.

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Yiannopoulos rose to national prominence as a provocative far-right political commentator and former editor at Breitbart News. 

He became a highly controversial figure through his speeches and online activity, including at UC Berkeley.