21 Savage has made his first public appearance and given his first interview since being arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) which landed him in federal custody for 10 days following Super Bowl Sunday. ICE claimed that 21 Savage is a British national, which he has since confirmed.
However, in an interview given to ABC’s Good Morning America, 21 Savage discussed the situation and explained his side of the story.
According to 21 Savage, his arrest was a “targeted operation.”
Savage told ABC’s Linsey Davis, “I was just driving. And I just seen guns and blue lights. And then, I was in the back of a car and I was gone. They didn’t, they didn’t say nothing. They just said, ‘We got Savage.'” He later added the arrest “was definitely targeted,” with a helicopter involved.
“I’ve been in Atlanta probably 20 years, 19 years. I’m from Atlanta, in my eyes,” he added.
21 Savage had applied for a new visa in 2017 after his previous one expired, but legal issues have led to a hangup. His legal team is working to resolve those issues so he can regain permanent legal residence in the United States.
In the meantime, he is going to use his platform to raise awareness for families obtained by ICE.
“I don’t feel like you should be arrested and put in a place where a murderer would be for just being in the country for too long,” he said. “I feel your pain, and I’m gonna do everything in my power to try and bring awareness to your pain.”
What Happened?
Rapper 21 Savage, born Sha Yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, has been arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Atlanta, Georgia. According to ICE spokesman Bryan Cox, the rap star is an “unlawfully present United Kingdom national” and is set to be deported. 21 Savage is alleged to have entered the United States legally in 2005, but overstayed his non-immigrant visa after it expired. It was previously reported that 21 moved to DeKalb County, Georgia in July 2005, but it was never clear where he came to the Atlanta area from.