Rapper 21 Savage has been arrested and taken into custody by American immigration officials for allegedly being a UK national who has been in the USA on an expired visa for over a decade.
According to American media reports, 21 Savage – real name, Sha Yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph – was targeted and arrested as part of a long term Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation which concluded on Sunday in the American city of Atlanta.
Immigration offers have claimed that 21 Savage entered the USA legally on a visa in 2005 but “subsequently failed to depart under the terms of his nonimmigrant visa” when it expired a year later. This would mean that for the past fourteen years, 21 Savage has allegedly been an illegal immigrant in the country.
In 2014, the rapper was convicted on drug charges which complicates the possible pending immigration case as those with criminal records are not typically granted new visas. The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement have allegedly already begun removal proceedings which will result in 21 Savage being deported and forced to return to the UK.
21’s lawyer, Dina LaPolt said 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 mothers and youths in financial literacy”.
This will come as a shock to many fans who believed that the 26-year-old rapper hailed from Atlanta, Georgia. 21 Savage released his second studio album, I Am> I Was at the end of last year and the artist received two Grammy nominations in 2018 for his guest appearance on Post Malone’s massive track, “Rockstar”.
Listen to I Am> I Was here and stay tuned to GRM Daily as we keep you updated as this story develops.