21 Savage’s attorney, Charles H. Kuck, is clarifying a few things after the rapper was arrested by I.C.E. on Sunday (Feb. 3). Kuck says 21 was detained based off of wrong information, according to reports from The Blast and TMZ.
“The Department of Homeland Security has known his address and his history since his filing for the U.S. Visa in 2017, yet they took no action against him until this past weekend,” Kuck said in a statement to The Blast.
I.C.E claimed Savage was a “fraud” who had overstayed his visa, but Kuck slammed the organization, saying that the government was well aware of his client’s immigration status at the time of his arrest. Additionally, the “A Lot” rapper was in the process of correcting his status. In 2017, he reportedly applied for a U-Visa, which is available to victims of a crime.
“As a minor, [Savage]’s family overstayed their work visas, and he, like almost two million other children, was left without legal status through no fault of his own,” Kuck explained to TMZ. “This is a civil law violation, and the continued detention of Mr. Abraham-Joseph serves no other purpose than to unnecessarily punish him and try to intimidate him into giving up his right to fight to remain in the United States.”
It was suspected that 21’s 2014 conviction for a federal drug charge may have played a role in his Sunday arrest, but that conviction was expunged from his record in Sept. 2018, TMZ confirms. “[I.C.E.’s arrest of Savage is] based upon incorrect information about prior criminal charges,” Kuck added.”
Kuck is arguing that Savage should not be held in detention because he is not a flight risk or a danger to his community. “We and he will fight for his release, for his family, and his right to remain in our country,” Kuck said. “No one would expect less from him.”