Atlanta rapper 21 Savage is arrested by ICE because he’s actually a BRITISH citizen who came to the US when he was 12 on a visa and never left
- Rapper 21 Savage, whose given name is Sha Yaa Bin Abraham- Joseph, was arrested in the Atlanta area Sunday morning by ICE officers
- ICE spokesman said the rapper is a British citizen who entered the US legally in July 2005 at the age of 12 but overstayed his visa which expired in 2006
- The 26-year-old is still in ICE custody and placed in deportation proceedings
- Records show his birth is registered in the London borough of Newham
- This comes as a shock to his fans who believed he was an Atlanta native
- Abraham-Joseph is nominated for two awards at next week’s Grammys
Rapper 21 Savage, whose given name is Sha Yaa Bin Abraham- Joseph, was arrested in the Atlanta area Sunday morning by ICE officers
Grammy-nominated rapper 21 Savage has been arrested by ICE officers and is in federal immigration custody in Georgia.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Bryan Cox says the rapper, whose given name is Sha Yaa Bin Abraham- Joseph, is a British citizen who entered the US legally in July 2005 at the age of 12.
He says the 26-year-old overstayed his visa, which expired in July 2006.
21 Savage, who previously dated model Amber Rose, was arrested Sunday morning in a targeted operation in the Atlanta area.
This comes as a shock to his fans, who considered the rapper an Atlanta local.
Abraham-Joseph is nominated for two awards at next week’s Grammys, including record of the year for the song ‘Rockstar’ alongside Post Malone.
He performed in Atlanta as recently as Thursday in the Super Bowl Music Fest at State Farm Arena.
ICE spokesman said the rapper is a British citizen who entered the US legally in July 2005 at the age of 12 but overstayed his visa which expired in 2006
This comes as a shock to his fans who believed 21 Savage, who previously dated Amber Rose, was an Atlanta native
Bin Abraham’s birth was registered in the London borough of Newham in 1992.
Cox says Abraham-Joseph has been placed in deportation proceedings in federal immigration court.
‘ICE will now await the outcome of his case before a federal immigration judge to determine future actions,’ Cox said.
His attorney, Dina LaPolt, said she’s working to get him out of custody.
LaPolt told TMZ, ‘We are working diligently to get Mr. Abraham-Joseph out of detention while we work with authorities to clear up any misunderstanding.
‘Mr. Abraham-Joseph is a role model to the young people in the country — especially in Atlanta, Georgia and is actively working in the community leading programs to help underprivileged youths in financial literacy.’
Cox said Abraham-Joseph was convicted on felony drug charges in Georgia in October 2014.
Abraham-Joseph is nominated for two awards at next week’s Grammys