Rapper 21 Savage was released on bond, pending a deportation hearing, TMZ reports. The 26-year-old rapper was released from an immigration detention center near Atlanta, hours after he was scheduled to perform at the Grammy Awards in L.A.
21 Savage, who was born Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph in London, England, was arrested by ICE agents on Feb. 3 in Atlanta for overstaying his expired visa.
He arrived in the US legally in 2005 when he 12, according to immigration officials. His visa expired a year later.
Abraham-Joseph’s attorneys argued that the rapper was not subject to mandatory detention under federal law and he should be granted bond.
A judge agreed and cut him loose, pending a deportation hearing at a later date to be determined.
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In a lengthy statement on Tuesday, his attorneys said:
“For the past 9 long days, we, on behalf of She’yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, known to the world as 21 Savage, have been speaking with ICE to both clarify his actual legal standing, his eligibility for bond, and provide evidence of his extraordinary contributions to his community and society.
In the last 24 hours, in the wake of the Grammy Awards at which he was scheduled to attend and perform, we received notice that She’yaa was granted an expedited hearing.
Today, 21 Savage was granted a release on bond. He won his freedom.
21 Savage asked us to send a special message to his fans and supporters—he says that while he wasn’t present at the Grammy Awards, he was there in spirit and is grateful for the support from around the world and is more than ever, ready to be with his loved ones and continue making music that brings people together.
He will not forget this ordeal or any of the other fathers, sons, family members, and faceless people, he was locked up with or that remain unjustly incarcerated across the country. And he asks for your hearts and minds to be with them.”
The rap star has three minor children, who are U.S. citizens, and a mother and four siblings, who are in the country lawfully, according to his attorney, Charles H. Kuck.
Abraham-Joseph is best known for dating West Coast socialite Amber Rose.
Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for NYFW: The Shows
