Recording artist 21 Savage was arrested on Sunday for allegations that he is not a legal resident of the United States since his visa expired several years ago.
On Sunday, Shayaa Bin Abraham-Joseph aka 21 Savage, was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
Abraham-Joseph came to America in 2005 with his parents when he was underage and he had a year-long visa granting him temporary citizenship upon arrival.
Since the time that his visa expired in 2006, Abraham-Joseph has created a music career in the rap genre earning him two nominations for a Grammy Award in the upcoming ceremony. He additionally has reportedly spent a lot of time trying to create an image as a positive role model for today’s youth and has launched a yearly drive to obtain school supplies for students as part of his humanitarian efforts.
A statement issued by ICE informed the public that the arrest had been made based on the knowledge that Abraham-Joseph was not a legal U.S. citizen, and added that he was further in breach of the law since he had a 2014 felony drug conviction.
The attorney representing Abraham-Joseph reported that he intends to show that his client’s civil rights have been violated with the actions taken against him since they are “now refusing to release him on bond of any amount, despite the fact that he has a pending U-Visa application (as the victim of crime),” which was filed in 2017. He was not a legal adult when the original visa expired without renewal, and Abraham-Joseph is also the father to children born in America, which his counsel said should provide him with protection from deportation. It was further disclosed that his legal citizenship status was not unknown to the authorities for quite some time but they only now chose to pursue him.
No official charges have been filed, and Abraham-Joseph is being held while a federal immigration judge reviews the details involved and decides if he will be allowed to remain in the U.S.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a crime with immigration consequences, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.