British-born rapper 21 Savage now has the freedom to travel internationally after his lawyer announced he’s now a lawful permanent resident of the United States. The Atlanta-based rapper’s current status comes after the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained him on charges of being in the country illegally. He was eventually released.
After he was granted permanent residency in the U.S., the Bank Account rapper announced he’ll be returning to his home country for a November 20 show at The O2 arena in London, Pitchfork reported. The 30-year-old also celebrated his freedom over the weekend as he performed outside the United States for the first time at Drake’s concert in Toronto.
“His immigration court proceedings have now been terminated and he is a lawful permanent resident of the United States with the freedom to travel internationally,” 21 Savage’s lawyer Charles Kuck told The Associated Press.
As previously reported by Face2Face Africa, the Grammy-nominated rapper, born Shayaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, was arrested in Atlanta by ICE officials in February 2019 following allegations that his visa had expired.
The ICE in a statement at the time said that the rapper was born in the United Kingdom and legally entered the United States from his country of birth in 2005 with a temporary nonimmigrant visa. They added that he, however, failed to leave when the visa expired the following year.
But his label RocNation called his arrest and detention a travesty and demanded his immediate release. “The arrest and detention of 21 Savage is an absolute travesty, his U Visa petition has been pending for 4 years,” the label said in a statement. “In addition to being a successful recording artist, 21 deserves to be reunited with his children immediately.”
A highly popular rapper in his supposed home city of Atlanta with a very strong fan base, news of 21 Savage’s arrest came as a shock to many as he was always known to be a native of the city. The support he received from his fans, peers, and colleagues during his detention was, however, overwhelming.
