21 Savage is a free man for the time being after he was released on bond Tuesday (Feb. 12) ahead of his deportation hearing, TMZ reports.
The rapper was arrested on Super Bowl Sunday (Feb. 3) in Atlanta by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (aka “ICE”) on claims that he’s in the country illegally. According to ICE officials, 21—whose real name is Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph—was actually born in the United Kingdom and overstayed his visa.
His attempt to get a U-Visa raised a few red flags and triggered his ICE arrest.
It isn’t clear why 21 was held by ICE for so long, considering he should’ve been allowed to bond out the day he was arrested because he was neither a flight risk nor a danger to his community, which is the usual standard for holding someone in jail pending a deportation hearing.
21’s team of attorneys—Alex Spiro, Charles H. Kuck and Dina LaPolt—said in a statement: “21 Savage asked us to send a special message to his fans and supporters—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.”
