21 Savage, who was arrested Sunday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for overstaying his visa, will fight deportation.
In a statement released Monday, lawyer Charles H. Kuck said the 26-year-old rap star, whose real name is She’yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, arrived from the UK with his family when he was a child.
“As a minor, his family overstayed their work visas, and he, like almost two million other children, was left without legal status through no fault of his own,” Kuck said, adding that Savage has children who are U.S. citizens.
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The lawyer said Savage should be released from custody.
“ICE can only continue to detain individuals who are a threat the community or a flight risk to not show up at their hearings. Obviously, our client is not a flight risk, as he is widely recognizable, and a prominent member of the music industry,” he said.
“Likewise, Mr. Abraham-Joseph’s is clearly not a danger to the community, and in fact, his contributions to local communities and schools that he grew up in are examples of the type of immigrant we want in America.”
Kuck added: “We and he will fight for his release, for his family, and his right to remain in our country.”
