Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have arrested and detained Grammy-nominated rapper, 21 Savage, government name Abraham-Joseph, early Sunday morning. The arrest took place during a targeted operation in Atlanta. The agency is claiming that 21 is actually a U.K. citizen who has overstayed his Visa for the past 13 years.
“We are working diligently to get Mr. Abraham-Joseph out of detention while we work with the authorities to clear up any misunderstandings,” lawyer Dina LaPolt stated, “Abraham-Joseph is a role model to young people in the U.S., especially in Atlanta.”
According to the Associate Press, it turns out 21 entered the U.S. legally in July 2005 when he was 13, but has remained in the country illegally since his visa expired in July 2006, ICE spokesperson Bryan Cox said in an emailed statement.
It was learned from an ICE official that back when 21 was arrested in 2014 for felony drug charges, ICE was not yet aware of his immigration status and only learned later.
Reports from CBS News claimed that fellow Atlanta rapper Young Nudy, real name Quantavious Thomas, was the law enforcement’s original target for different reasons. Nudy was allegedly pulled over with 21 and two others in the car. Only after 21 was booked into the system did ICE take notice to his apparent U.K. roots.
It was later learned from DJ BJ, who works closely with both artists, that Nudy and 21 weren’t even in the same car, and platforms are stating that as fake news.
https://twitter.com/RealDJBJ/status/1092264877958316032
In response to the arrests, many have taken to social media to show support and some even give their own takes on the incident.
While others have taken this as an opportunity to crack jokes about the arrest:
Flow N Rhythm 