21 Savage's recent ICE arrest and detainment was reportedly a decision that had been made months ago by the Atlanta bureau of the federal agency.
At the time, ICE had established it would arrest the rapper and hold him without bond before deporting him. This decision came as a result of ICE's belief that 21 Savage had a felony conviction, which would ordinarily prohibit him from posting bond. However details surrounding his record proved to be incorrect as 21's 2014 drug conviction was sealed last year, and subsequently erased from his file.
Despite this administrative misstep, ICE in Washington, D.C. reportedly ignored the conviction's release and ordered the Atlanta field office to keep 21 in custody. On Tuesday, 21's lawyers appeared in court to argue for the i am > i was artist to be granted bond, which the judge ultimately approved. But according to TMZ, despite 21's release from ICE custody, he still faces immigration obstacles, including Donald Trump's own policies.
The president changed the immigration protocols from the Bush and Obama eras. This new wave of immigration policy expects that individuals who still have pending visa applications will be deported, and only be able to return once the documentation has been certified. 21 Savage filed his application for visa renewal in 2017, however, given the process usually takes approximately four years, he is currently in the waiting period.
ICE reportedly told 21 they'd drop his deportation proceedings if he left the U.S. voluntarily, which he turned down. In response to the TMZ report, Alex Spiro, an attorney for 21 Savage, echoed this sentiment with the following statement: "At this point only ICE knows when they decided to do this and the real reasons behind it. One can always leave the country and not fight for their status. He wants to be here and fight."
After 21's release and subsequent private jet-hopping on Wednesday, his mother, Heather Joseph, shared a couple pics on Instagram. In a joyful caption she thanked “Jay Z, Cardi B, Offset, J Cole, Metro Boomin, Kei, Justin and all the many many other amazing people who either spoke out and/or offered comforting words of support” and specifically shouted out Reps. Hank Johnson, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Zoe Lofgren in her appreciation of “each and every politician or public figure that stepped up and presented letters and made statements in defense of my son.”
