21 Savage is receiving no special treatment in jail. His co-manager, Justin “Meezy” Williams, says the British rapper is on lockdown 23 hours a day at the immigration center in downtown Atlanta where he is on indefinite immigration hold.
The 26-year-old UK national was arrested by ICE agents on Super Bowl Sunday for overstaying his visa.
21 Savage and his mother, Heather Thomas, claimed he was born in Dominica.
Prior to his arrest, none of his fans were aware he was British.
Williams provided an update to the rapper’s fans on Tuesday: “Just got off the phone wit [sic] Savage … he is on lockdown for 23hrs of the day no tv or any communication besides our 10 [minute] phone calls … everything I’ve told him that has been happening made him happy & makes this time fly by thank y’all for the support.”
The manager also posted a link to a petition that has garnered over 157,000 signatures.
“My Brother needs your support Sign the petition to help #Free21Savage! free21savage.org,” he wrote on Instagram.com.
The rapper’s lawyer, Charles H. Kuck, insists his client is being “unnecessarily punished” by U.S. immigration authorities.
21 Savage, whose real name is Shéyaa (pronounced Shay Yaa) Bin Abraham-Joseph, faces deportation back to England, which his lawyer argues is a “civil law violation”.
“The continued detention of Mr Abraham-Joseph serves no other purpose than to unnecessarily punish him and try to intimidate him into giving up his right to fight to remain in the United States,” Kuck said in a statement per WENN.com.
Kuck added that authorities had been aware of 21 Savage’s status since 2017, when he applied for a visa as a victim of crime.
Kuck also claimed that the musician was being held by officers because of “incorrect information about prior criminal charges”. He is likely referring to 21 Savage’s 2014 felony drug conviction – but the record was expunged last year. However, ICE does not have to honor an expungement.
“ICE has not charged Mr. Abraham-Joseph with any crime,” Kuck explained. “As a minor, his family overstayed their work visas, and he, like almost two million other children, was left without legal status through no fault of his own.
“He rose above the difficult circumstances of his youth to achieve success and make contributions to our society that rival any of those by a natural born citizen. Mr Abraham-Joseph has U.S. citizen children that he supports and is eligible for relief from deportation.”
Concluding his statement, Kuck said: “We and he will fight for his release, for his family, and his right to remain in our country. No one would expect less from him.”
Photo by Forever 21 via WENN.com
