More than a week after he was picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers during an alleged “targeted” operation, rapper 21 Savage has been released from a Georgia detention facility on a $100,000 bond.
According to a statement from his attorneys, 21 Savage, born She’yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, “won his freedom” after “speaking with ICE to both clarify his actual legal standing, his eligibility for bond, and provide evidence of his extraordinary contributions to his community and society.”
Abraham-Joseph, a U.K. national, came to the U.S. with his family when he was a child, ICE alleges. Abraham-Joseph’s family apparently overstayed their visas, but the rapper applied for a new one in 2017. In spite of this, he was arrested by ICE officers on Super Bowl Sunday. While he was held in custody, many fans and immigrant advocates rallied to his side, demanding ICE officials release the rapper.
After being granted an expedited hearing, Abraham-Joseph was released on Tuesday.
After his release, 21 Savage, who spoke out about the Trump administration’s treatment of undocumented immigrants just days before he was arrested, had a message for his fans.
Roy Rochlin/Getty Images
“He says that while he wasn’t present at the Grammy Awards, he was there in spirit and is grateful for the support from around the world and is more than ever, ready to be with his loved ones and continue making music that brings people together,” his lawyers wrote on Facebook.
According to his attorneys, 21 Savage will also continue to speak out to highlight the plight of those still in ICE custody.
“He will not forget this ordeal or any of the other fathers, sons, family members, and faceless people, he was locked up with or that remain unjustly incarcerated across the country,” his lawyers said in a statement. “And he asks for your hearts and minds to be with them.”
