The 'Bank Account' hitmaker is facing deportation after being taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Atlanta on claims that he stays in the U.S. without correct paperwork.
- Feb 5, 2019
AceShowbiz - Officials from Britain's Foreign Office have confirmed they have been in contact with rapper 21 Savage's lawyer.
The "Bank Account" hitmaker, real name Shayaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, was picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Atlanta, Georgia on Sunday, February 03 as part of a "targeted operation with federal and local law enforcement partners".
Until the news of his arrest hit headlines, 21 Savage was thought to have been a local act from Atlanta, but ICE officials claim the hip-hop star is actually a U.K. national without the correct paperwork to remain in America, and he is now facing deportation.
Accordingly, a spokesperson for the British Foreign Office has now told reporters at Reuters that they have spoken to 21 Savage's lawyer.
"Our staff are in contact with the lawyer of a British man following his detention in the USA," they said, though declined to share any further information.
An ICE representative declared in a statement issued to Atlanta news station WSB-TV on Sunday that the musician was taken into custody "as he is unlawfully present in the U.S. and also a convicted felon".
"Mr. Abraham-Joseph initially entered the U.S. legally in July 2005, but subsequently failed to depart under the terms of his non-immigrant visa," the official added.
However, the two-time Grammy nominee's lawyer, Dina LaPolt, has told editors at TMZ that the arrest was due to a "misunderstanding".
"We are working diligently to get Mr. Abraham-Joseph out of detention while we work with authorities to clear up any misunderstanding," she commented.
21 Savage's latest project, "I Am > I Was", hit number on the U.S. albums chart upon its release in December, and he is nominated for two Grammy Awards for "Rockstar", his popular collaboration with Post Malone. The ceremony is due to take place in Los Angeles next Sunday, February 10.
