Rapper 21 Savage was arrested in Atlanta early Sunday morning by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents for being in the United States unlawfully, according to The Blast.
21 Savage, whose real name is Shayaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, was picked up in Atlanta for overstaying his Visa, according to a statement by ICE spokesman. The statement, obtained by WSB-TV, referred to Savage as an “unlawfully present United Kingdom national.”
Savage was picked up “during a targeted operation with federal and local law enforcement partners” in the Atlanta area. The feds have conducted mass arrests in Atlanta since Thursday, while over 1 million guests are in the City for Super Bowl weekend festivities.
A source close to 21 Savage tells The Blast his lawyers are working to clear up the immigration issue, calling it a “misunderstanding.”
The Blast‘s sources say his legal team has been trying to clear this up for months and the issue has to do with the validity of his Visa paperwork when he entered the country.
WSB-TV reports an email from an ICE spokesman that further explained, “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 with his family in July 2005, but subsequently failed to depart under the terms of his nonimmigrant visa.”
Apparently the rapper was denied a green card which would have allowed him to remain in the country permanently.
The rapper and his siblings were raised in England by his mother, Heather, a Dominican national. The family moved to DeKalb County, Georgia in 2005.
21 Savage is best known for his 2015 underground mixtape, The Slaughter Tape, and his debut album Savage Mode (2016). He is also widely known for once dating West Coast socialite Amber Rose.
Savage is the latest rapper to be arrested in Atlanta during the big Super Bowl weekend.
Reality TV stars Shad Moss, aka Bow Wow, and his girlfriend, Kiyomi Leslie were arrested early Saturday on misdemeanor assault charges. They were both released Saturday.
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