Far-right British commentator Milo Yiannopoulos has spoken publicly for the first time since his arrest and deportation from the United States, describing the experience as "really, really terrified." In an interview with Piers Morgan released Tuesday, Yiannopoulos detailed his detention by US immigration authorities, expressing shock at the institutionalized nature of what he perceived as brutality.

Yiannopoulos, known for his provocative commentary and past support for aggressive US immigration policies, recounted being handcuffed and shackled, stating that ordinary detainees were treated like criminals. He was arrested last Thursday upon arriving at the New Orleans airport and subsequently held at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility before being deported.

"I didn’t really understand the physical reality of how institutionalised the brutality is in America," Yiannopoulos told Morgan. He described the experience as "frightening" and unlike anything he had felt before. He criticized the harsh treatment, noting that the manacles "hurt a lot more than it looks like on television."

US authorities, however, presented a different account. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that Yiannopoulos had overstayed his visa after entering the US legally on May 14, 2019. According to the DHS, he was issued a deportation order in July after failing to attend a scheduled immigration hearing.

White House border tsar Tom Homan echoed this, telling CNN that Yiannopoulos was responsible for his own deportation. Homan asserted that Yiannopoulos missed his court date, leading a judge to order his removal. "He had his due process order removed by a federal judge, and I removed him. It’s that simple," Homan stated.

In his interview, Yiannopoulos pushed back against these claims, suggesting that his shifting public persona might have played a role. He stated that he no longer engages in the "right-wing provocateur thing" and now manages lawyers, describing himself as an "organised and together person." He also mentioned being married to an American citizen, questioning why he would risk overstaying a visa.

The commentator also referred to a "cancelled" green card, though details surrounding this were not fully elaborated in the provided material. The circumstances surrounding his deportation and the differing accounts from Yiannopoulos and US officials highlight ongoing complexities in US immigration enforcement.

The incident has drawn attention due to Yiannopoulos's public profile and his past alignment with policies that have since impacted him. His remarks offer a personal perspective on the realities of detention and deportation proceedings within the US immigration system.