How popular Atlanta rapper 21 Savage was arrested and shockingly declared British

So according to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), popular Atlanta based rapper 21 Savage is not a citizen of the United States but British. Born Shayaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, the Grammy-nominated rapper was arrested in Atlanta on Sunday by ICE officials on charges of being in the country illegally in what was described as a targeted operation, according to The Washington Post.

In a statement, the ICE claims the 26-year-old rapper legally entered the United States from the United Kingdom in 2005 with a temporary nonimmigrant visa but failed to leave when the visa expired the following year.

“Mr. Abraham-Joseph initially entered the U.S. legally in July 2005, but subsequently failed to depart under the terms of his nonimmigrant visa and he became unlawfully present in the U.S. when his visa expired in July 2006. In addition to being in violation of federal immigration law, Mr. Abraham-Joseph was convicted on felony drug charges in October 2014 in Fulton County, Georgia,” the statement read.

“Mr. Abraham-Joseph is presently in ICE custody in Georgia and has been placed into removal proceedings before the federal immigration courts. ICE will now await the outcome of his case before a federal immigration judge to determine future actions.”

A highly popular rapper in his supposed home city of Atlanta with a very strong fan base, news of his arrest came as shock to many as he is always known to be a native of the city.

However, according to CNN Correspondent Nick Valencia, an ICE spokesman told him “his whole public persona is false.” he quoted in a Tweet.

“He actually came to the U.S. from the U.K. as a teen and overstayed his visa,” he concluded.

21 Savage’s lawyer, Dina LaPolt, in a statement to The Washington Post, confirmed they are in talks with the ICE to get him out of detention.

“We are working diligently to get Mr. Abraham-Joseph out of detention while we work with the authorities to clear up any misunderstandings,” LaPolt said. “Mr. Abraham-Joseph is a role model to the young people in this country, especially in Atlanta, Georgia, and is actively working in the community — leading programs to help underprivileged youths in financial literacy.”

From the usual hilarious reactions to the serious ones, here’s what social media had to say about the shocking revelation: