ICE arrests 21 Savage under claims of unlawful presence in the USA
Alyssa Bunde
Staff Writer
Super Bowl Sunday was a day of confusion for fans of rapper 21 Savage. The “Bank Account” rapper was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs early morning Sunday, Feb. 3.
The rapper had previously claimed to be an Atlanta native, making this case even more confusing when ICE spokesman, Brian Cox, told the AJC that Savage was an “unlawfully present United Kingdom national.”
Cox also stated that the rapper had legally entered the United States in July of 2005 on a visa, a visa that expired in 2006. He added that 21 Savage was also a convicted felon.
According to Variety, “Savage was convicted of felony drug charges in 2014.”
On the other hand, Jacoby Hudson, Savage’s attorney from the 2014 case said that 21 Savage is not a convicted felon. According to Complex, he continued stating, “that arrest should be expunged. He has no felony convictions.”
Minnesota State University, Mankato student Khiap Keo expressed his opinion on the rapper’s case. He said that the rapper had turned himself around by doing charity work. But despite this, Keo believes that “[21 Savage] should’ve gotten his visa renewed because he has unlimited resources to do so.”
Fox Nation commentator, Tomi Lahren, commented on the situation by tweeting, “I got one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight ICE agents ready to deport ya.”
Per usual, the conservative was not met without criticism. A twitter user responded by sharing a link to an old clip of Lahren rapping along to a 21 Savage song. According to Huffington Post the user tweeted, “You’re a sham.”
MNSU student, Ammar Mohammed, also commented on Savages actions. “Sometimes we have to make immoral choices to proceeded in life. Having an illegal status for so long should not be enough reason to get deported,” said Mohammed.
The rapper’s attorney, Dina LaPolt, told Variety that they are working with authorities to “clear up any misunderstanding.” She continued stating, “Mr. Abraham-joseph (21 Savage’s real name) is a role model to the young people in the country.”
The rapper is nominated for two Grammy Awards, but considering the recent events, it is unlikely he will be at the awards show to receive them.
Feature photo courtesy of the Associated Press.