“We are heartbroken to announce we have to cancel our upcoming European tour,” the band wrote on Instagram on Wednesday (via The Guardian). “Our drummer, Yamal Said, who is a Mexican citizen and lawful permanent resident of the United States (green card holder) was forcibly removed from our flight to Europe by Customs and Border Patrol [sic] at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on Monday May 12. He has not been released, and we have been unable to contact him. We are currently working with an immigration lawyer to find out more information and to attempt to secure his release. We are devastated to cancel this tour. but we are focusing all of our energy and resources on Yamal’s safety and freedom.”
In a statement on Twitter/X, the Department of Homeland Security wrote, “Yamal Said is a Mexican national and lawful U.S. permanent resident. Said had a warrant for his arrest after violating a restraining order at least TWICE. If you come to our country and break our laws, you will be arrested. When he was attempting to leave the U.S., he was apprehended by CBP and has been turned over to local law enforcement.”
Said’s detainment made headlines in part because of a wave of artists who have faced problems traveling in and out of the U.S. since President Donald Trump began his second term; FKA twigs had to reschedule several dates due to an apparent visa issue, and transgender Canadian musician Bells Larsen had to cancel his US tour because “US Immigration now only recognizes identification that corresponds with one’s assigned sex at birth,” per Consequence. In a follow-up to the original post about Said’s situation, Lord Buffalo shared, “We have been asked by our drummer’s family and his legal team to respect their privacy while this situation evolves… We’ll share updates from the family when we can.”
