Update: 21 Savage in 23-hour lockdown for expired visa
Alyssa Bunde
Staff Writer
Rapper and Grammy nominee 21 Savage has been in the custody of ICE since the Super Bowl Sunday due to his illegal status in the U.S. With new information coming out daily, Savage’s case grows with intensity.
Fans have known Savage to be from Atlanta, Georgia. However, it was confirmed that he is in fact from the United Kingdom. In a birth certificate acquired by the CNN, it states that Savage was born in the London borough of Newham.
The artist’s legal team has released various statements regarding the case. One statement obtained by PEOPLE expressed, “Many have speculated as to possible ulterior motives for his arrest and detention, including that he released music five days prior to his arrest by ICE, which included new lyrics condemning the behavior of immigration officials for their detention of children at the border.”
ICE has not commented on these speculations.
The rapper’s legal team also took on the claims against Savage and cleared the air. They stated, “He remained in the United States until 2005, when he departed for approximately one month to visit the United Kingdom. He returned to the United States under a valid H-4 visa on July 22, 2005.”
According to CNN, “H-4 visas are granted to the children of immigrants who hold H-1B visas, which are given to foreign workers in specialty occupations.”
Unfortunately, that visa expired in 2006 and left the rapper undocumented in the United States.
Minnesota State University, Mankato student Aaliyah Navejas expressed her support for the rapper, “21 Savage deserves his card (visa) renewed. He’s paid enough taxes and has established himself well in the U.S.”
According to CNN, an application for a U-visa was filed in 2017. This was four years after being in an incident with a now deceased friend. Savage was reportedly shot six times during the event. Immigration attorney Charles Kuck stated, “The visa is pending with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.”
According to ICE in a CNN article, “The visa is available to those who have been the victims of a crime in the United States, have suffered physical or mental injury as a result of a crime and who are “helpful to law enforcement or government officials in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity.””
TMZ approached rapper ASAP Rocky with the topic of 21 Savage. Rocky stated, “Shout out to the U.K., shouts to 21 Savage,” he continued, “I ain’t know he was a Brit, though. Shout out to the homie.”
Savages legal team took to Twitter to give an update. It stated, “just got off phone wit Savage… he is in lockdown for 23hrs of the day no tv or any communications besides our 10 min phone calls… everything I’ve told him that has happening made him happy & makes this time fly by thank y’all for the support.”