21 Savage's attorney calls rapper's arrest 'civil law violation' - Page Six

21 Savage’s attorney says he’s done nothing wrong and called his arrest by ICE agents a “civil law violation.”

In a statement released Monday afternoon, Atlanta-based immigration attorney Charles H. Kuck said the rapper, whose real name is She’yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, came to the US with his family when he was a minor and after they overstayed their visas, “he, like almost two million other children, was left without legal status through no fault of his own.”

Kuck also claimed that the government has long been aware of 21’s immigration status, but chose to do nothing until this weekend, even though his client is not a flight risk and has proven himself to be a valuable member of his community.

He closes off the statement by saying, “Mr. Abraham-Joseph has US citizen children that he supports and is eligible for relief from deportation. We and he will fight for his release, for his family, and his right to remain in our country. No one would expect less from him.”

The statement comes one day after the 26-year-old was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Atlanta. The agency alleges that the rapper, who has been associated with Atlanta and its vibrant music scene since his 2016 breakthrough, is actually a UK citizen who has been living in the country illegally since overstaying his visa in 2006.

Read 21 Savage’s attorney’s full statement below:

ICE detained She’yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, the well-known Atlanta based recording artist and songwriter also known as ’21 Savage.’ Based upon incorrect information about prior criminal charges and now refusing to release him on bond of any amount, despite the fact that he has a pending U-Visa application (as the victim of crime) with USCIS, and that he has relief from removal available to him. Mr. Abraham-Joseph has never hid his immigration status from the US government. The Department of Homeland Security has known his address and his history since his filing for the U Visa in 2017, yet they took no action against him until this past weekend. 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. 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.

ICE has not charged Mr. Abraham-Joseph with any crime. 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. This is a civil law violation, and the continued detention of Mr. Abraham-Joseph serves no other purpose than to unnecessarily punish him and try to intimidate him into giving up his right to fight to remain in the United States. He rose above the difficult circumstances of his youth to achieve success and make contributions to our society that rival any of those by a natural born citizen. Mr. Abraham-Joseph has US citizen children that he supports and is eligible for relief from deportation. We and he will fight for his release, for his family, and his right to remain in our country. No one would expect less from him.

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