21 Savage arrested, faces possible deportation to UK
Fans were shocked when “Atlanta-famous” rapper 21 Savage was taken into custody by ICE over Super Bowl weekend and may now face deportation back to the UK.
USA TODAY
LOS ANGELES − 21 Savage can now legally travel outside the United States and plans to resume performing internationally in his native London.
Savage’s attorney, Charles Kuck, told USA TODAY in a statement on Friday that the rapper has officially become a permanent resident of the United States and may now be allowed to move abroad. After being taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Georgia in 2019, he overcame a major travel hurdle.
Kuck said the Grammy winner has “complied with all applicable immigration laws since his initial detention by ICE.”
“His immigration court proceedings have now been dismissed and he is a lawful permanent resident of the United States with the freedom to travel internationally,” Kuck said.
The announcement was accompanied by a clip about the rapper’s career and his childhood memories set to Skylar Grey’s “Coming Home,” which announced his return to the UK with a closing slide that read: “London… I’m coming home.” “
“It will be so great to have you back in the UK. We missed you so much,” says a spokesman. “We all love you, Shéyaa, and look forward to seeing you soon.”
An accompanying press release said: “This is a milestone for the superstar as he will soon be performing in London for the first time. More information will follow soon.”
Savage, 30, whose birth name is Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, spent 10 days in a detention center in south Georgia before his release. He was arrested in a targeted operation because his visa expired in 2006.
The Atlanta-based rapper said he had no idea what a visa was when his mother brought him to the US at age seven. In an interview with the AP in 2019, he said that immigrants like him who lived in America illegally as children should automatically become U.S. citizens.
Savage said the visa application process discourages many undocumented immigrants because it “hangs over their heads forever.”
Contributors: Jonathan Landrum Jr., The Associated Press, and Kim Willis, USA TODAY