Rapper 21 Savage was arrested Sunday morning by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Atlanta.
Authorities accuse Savage – whose real name is Sha Yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph – of coming from the UK and overstaying his visa.
According to ICE, Savage entered the U.S. legally in July 2005 on a one-year visa.
In a 2016 interview with Fader, Savage talked about being expelled from school in Atlanta when he was 12 or 13 for taking a gun to class.
A spokesperson for ICE said: “His whole public persona is false."
The 26-year-old rap star, who was convicted of drug charges in Georgia in 2014, is in custody and faces deportation.
Savage is nominated for two awards at next Sunday’s Grammys.