Rapper 21 Savage will be released from detention on bond in the lead up to his deportation hearing, according to his legal team.
Representatives of the British-born musician said that in the last day he had been granted an expedited hearing and had therefore “won his freedom”, albeit temporarily.
The rapper – real name She’yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph – was supposed to perform at the Grammys on Sunday night, where he was nominated for two awards.
But earlier this month, he was detained by US Immigration And Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Atlanta, Georgia, after allegedly overstaying his visa.
Through his representatives – which include the Jay-Z-hired lawyer Alex Spiro – 21 Savage sent a message to his fans, telling them he had been at the Grammys “in spirit”.
Special message
“21 Savage asked us to send a special message to his fans and supporters,” they said. “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.”
It continued: “[21 Savage] 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.
“And he asks for your hearts and minds to be with them.”
ICE says the 26-year-old is a British national who moved to the States aged 12 in 2005 and went on to overstay his visa.
His lawyers say his legal immigrant status expired in 2006 “through no fault of his own” and he should be eligible to fight his removal from the country in court.
The U visa he has applied for is for victims of crime, after his lawyers said he survived a shooting in 2013. – Press Association
