The United States immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, on Sunday reportedly arrested rapper 21 Savage after it found out that the Atlanta rapper is a United Kingdom national who stayed in the U.S. after his visa lapsed.
The rapper, whose birth name is Sha Yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, got arrested in Atlanta.
The immigration body issued a statement saying:
“U.S. IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT (ICE) ARRESTED UNLAWFULLY PRESENT UNITED KINGDOM NATIONAL SHA YAA BIN ABRAHAM-JOSEPH AKA “21 SAVAGE” DURING A TARGETED OPERATION WITH FEDERAL AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS EARLY SUNDAY IN METRO ATLANTA. MR. ABRAHAM-JOSEPH WAS TAKEN INTO ICE CUSTODY AS HE IS UNLAWFULLY PRESENT IN THE U.S. AND ALSO A CONVICTED FELON.”
MR. ABRAHAM-JOSEPH INITIALLY ENTERED THE U.S. LEGALLY IN JULY 2005, BUT SUBSEQUENTLY FAILED TO DEPART UNDER THE TERMS OF HIS NONIMMIGRANT VISA AND HE BECAME UNLAWFULLY PRESENT IN THE U.S. WHEN HIS VISA EXPIRED IN JULY 2006. IN ADDITION TO BEING IN VIOLATION OF FEDERAL IMMIGRATION LAW, MR. ABRAHAM-JOSEPH WAS CONVICTED ON FELONY DRUG CHARGES IN OCTOBER 2014 IN FULTON COUNTY, GEORGIA.”MR. ABRAHAM-JOSEPH IS PRESENTLY IN ICE CUSTODY IN GEORGIA AND HAS BEEN PLACED INTO REMOVAL PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE FEDERAL IMMIGRATION COURTS. ICE WILL NOW AWAIT THE OUTCOME OF HIS CASE BEFORE A FEDERAL IMMIGRATION JUDGE TO DETERMINE FUTURE ACTIONS.”
The rapper’s lawyer Dina LaPolt told TMZ in a statement:
“WE ARE WORKING DILIGENTLY TO GET MR. ABRAHAM-JOSEPH OUT OF DETENTION WHILE WE WORK WITH AUTHORITIES TO CLEAR UP ANY MISUNDERSTANDING. MR. ABRAHAM-JOSEPH IS A ROLE MODEL TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRY – ESPECIALLY IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA AND IS ACTIVELY WORKING IN THE COMMUNITY LEADING PROGRAMS TO HELP UNDERPRIVILEGED YOUTHS IN FINANCIAL LITERACY.”
“HIS WHOLE PUBLIC PERSONA IS FALSE,” AN ICE SPOKESPERSON TOLD CNN’S NICK VALENCIA PER THE JOURNALIST’S TWEETS.
“HE ACTUALLY CAME TO THE U.S. FROM THE U.K. AS A TEEN AND OVERSTAYED HIS VISA.”