21 Savage’s leven lijkt een grote leugen te zijn. De rapper wordt al jarenlang gezien als lid van de enige echte Atlanta hiphopscene, maar lijkt nu niet eens echt een Amerikaan te zijn.
De rapper werd gisteren opgepakt door ICE, de Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. Volgens de autoriteiten zou de rapper al sinds 2006 illegaal in USA verblijven.
In 2005 kwam Savage, Sha Yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph als 13-jarige jongen het land in vanuit Engeland. Hij had een visum voor een jaar, maar meldde zich niet, zo blijkt uit een statement van ICE:
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested unlawfully present United Kingdom national Sha Yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph AKA “21 Savage” during a targeted operation with federal and local law enforcement partners early Sunday in metro Atlanta. Mr. Abraham-Joseph was taken into ICE custody as he is unlawfully present in the U.S. and also a convicted felon.
Mr. Abraham-Joseph initially entered the U.S. legally in July 2005, but subsequently failed to depart under the terms of his nonimmigrant visa and he became unlawfully present in the U.S. when his visa expired in July 2006. In addition to being in violation of federal immigration law, Mr. Abraham-Joseph was convicted on felony drug charges in October 2014 in Fulton County, Georgia.
Mr. Abraham-Joseph is presently in ICE custody in Georgia and has been placed into removal proceedings before the federal immigration courts. ICE will now await the outcome of his case before a federal immigration judge to determine future actions.
Savage’s advocaat probeert om de uitzetting te voorkomen. “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 youths in financial literacy.”
