Rapper 21 Savage has been granted bond in a controversial immigration case.
She’yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, a hip-hop musician better known as 21 Savage, has been released from the custody of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. The news was initially reported on Facebook by the Kuck Baxter immigration law firm of Atlanta.
21 Savage was able to post bond, although it is not clear whether it was of the cash, signature or own-recognizance kind; he is also expected to get a speedy court hearing to clarify his legal status.
The release of 21 Savage comes less than 48 hours after the 61st Grammy Awards ceremony, in which he was nominated in the Record of the Year category thanks to his work with Post Malone on the hit single “Rockstar.”
The Atlanta-based rapper, who was born in the United Kingdom and was brought to the U.S. by his parents as a child, was even expected to perform at the awards ceremony. Instead, he spent the night in an immigration detention cell.
21 Savage was taken into custody by ICE agents on February 3rd, the same day Super Bowl LIII was played at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The rapper was reportedly arrested because his visa had expired years ago, but his attorneys have suggested that the enforcement action had more to do with a specific song.
A few weeks ago, 21 Savage released an extended version of his 2018 song, “A Lot,” in which he mentioned the repulsive Homeland Security practice of separating migrant families at the border between Mexico and the U.S. Once the extended “A Lot” version started streaming, the family separation issue once again sparked online discussion, and many 21 Savage fans believe this is why ICE agents targeted him.
U.S. Representative Henry Calvin Johnson Jr. wrote a letter to the immigration judge overseeing the 21 Savage case, explaining that the rapper has made many contributions towards improving the lives of at-risk youth in Atlanta.
At the same time, 21 Savage’s attorneys affirmed that their client does not have a felony offense on record, something that had been previously reported.