Rapper 21 Savage arrested by ICE in Atlanta, may be deported

By Sam Barsanti | February 3, 2019 | 10:54pm

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According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Variety), rapper 21 Savage has been arrested by U.S. Immigrations And Customs Enforcement—a.k.a. ICE—for overstaying his visa. Apparently, despite telling people he’s from Atlanta and being a visible part of the city’s rap community (he appeared just last week alongside T.I., Migos, and Ludacris at a pre-Super Bowl event), 21 Savage is actually from the United Kingdom. The rapper’s real name is Sha Yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, and a spokesperson for ICE says he was arrested in a “targeted operation” and is now facing “removal proceedings before the federal immigration courts.” In other words, they’re working on deporting him back to the United Kingdom.

In a statement from Abraham-Joseph’s attorney, the rapper is referred to as a “role model to the young people in the country” who is “actively working in the community, leading programs to help underprivileged youths in financial literacy.” The Journal-Constitution also notes that he donated free school supplies to 2,500 students in Georgia’s DeKalb County. ICE, meanwhile, just says that his Visa has been expired since 2006, making him an “unlawfully present United Kingdom national.”