Shortly after 21 Savage’s release from Immigration Enforcement and Customs’ custody (ICE) on Feb. 12, the organization decided to nix the 26-year-old rapper’s “aggravated felony” charge, Buzzfeed News reports. The charge reportedly served as a basis for ICE’s detainment of the I Am > I Was artist. Savage’s expired visa as it relates to deportation will solely be the center of discourse.
“I think this case is emblematic of a lot of cases where people are detained for not correct reasons, but they don’t always have resources to fight the system,” Savage’s attorney, Charles Kuck said to the news website. “This case is very emblematic of what happens in immigration court and detention.”
On Feb. 3, Savage began a nine-day stint in a detention center in Georgia. The “Bank Account” rapper was released on Feb. 12 on bond as he awaits an immigration court hearing. Additionally, reports have stated the criminal conviction that occurred in October 2014 was expunged in late 2018 due to Georgia’s first-offender program, The New York Times reports. The policy allows those that commit a crime for the first time the chance to plead guilty but sidestep a conviction.
In an interview with VIBE, Savage’s attorney Alex Spiro said while his client’s case is gaining a massive following, it’s important to note and realize this is happening to everyday people. “My view is that when cases are troubling like this one clearly is and they gain some importance that it wakes people up to the realities of everyday life for people that are living in this country in limbo,” Spiro states. “Of course, we have borders and citizenship and that’s a reality, it’s more thinking about the way we conduct ourselves and how we handle the process and what the right thing to do is.”