*Attorneys for 21 Savage say the rapper has “no criminal convictions or charges” and that ICE “provided incorrect information to the press when it claimed he had a criminal conviction.”
The 26-year-old Grammy-nominated star, whose legal name is She’yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, was detained early Sunday morning after being accused of overstaying his visa.
ICE reported that he was arrested as part of a “targeted operation,” and a birth certificate obtained by Reuters suggests Savage, who was taken into custody in Atlanta on immigration charges, was born in London.
OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: 21 Savage Arrested by ICE; UK Born Rapper Overstayed His Visa
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#TSRUpdatez: #21Savage’s lawyer gives a statement on his behalf and a status update ?? (SWIPE)
He reportedly came from Britain to America with his family as a minor. His lawyers confirmed that they overstayed their work visas in a statement Monday but noted that his client was “left without legal status through no fault of his own.”
“This is a civil law violation, and the continued detention of Mr. Abraham-Joseph serves no other purpose than to unnecessarily punish him and try to intimidate him into giving up his right to fight to remain in the United States,” attorney Charles Kuck said in a statement. “Obviously, our client is not a flight risk, as he is widely recognizable, and a prominent member of the music industry. Likewise, Mr. Abraham-Joseph is clearly not a danger to the community, and in fact, his contributions to local communities and schools that he grew up in are examples of the type of immigrant we want in America.”
21 Savage could face a 10-year ban on re-entering the United States if he is deported.
Kuck denied that his client hid his immigration status from the U.S. government and said he applied for a U visa in 2017. As reported by The Huff Post, that visa is reserved for “victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and are helpful to law enforcement or government officials.”
It’s not clear in what way 21 Savage was a crime victim.
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