Earlier this week, 21 Savage turned himself in to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, where he was charged with gun and drug possession related to his ICE arrest in February, 2019, TMZ reports. He was released on bond later that same day.
An arrest warrant authorizing the arrest of the Atlanta-based rapper was signed by a local magistrate court judge earlier this month on suspicion of felony weapons possession and drug possession, per BuzzFeed News.
Records related to the warrant allege that the offenses took place on February 2, 2019, the day before he was taken into custody by ICE officials. “The warrant appears to have been sought at the behest of ICE, as the warrant was issued in the eve of an Immigration Court hearing in Mr. Joseph’s deportation proceeding, and is based upon events that transpired on the evening that ICE arrested Mr. Joseph over 2 and one half years ago,” 21’s attorney Charles Kuck said in a statement.
Authorities claim that the rapper threw a container of codeine out of his car during the 2019 arrest, and that a handgun was found in the vehicle. The United States government has attempted to deport 21 Savage because he came to the country from the UK at age 7 and overstayed his visa, and he’s set for a hearing on his immigration status on Nov. 1.
"There can be no doubt that ICE is seeking to cover its own errors in detaining Mr. Joseph by pushing trumped up charges against him and seeks to stop him from obtaining lawful permanent residence in the United States,” added Kuck in his statement. Over the past two years, the rapper has continued his efforts to obtain a green card to allow permanent residency and future citizenship.
“We are grateful for the efforts of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office for quickly processing and releasing Mr. Joseph,” Kuck said. “He will continue to fight for his right to seek permanent residence in the United States through the immigration court. We look forward to the day when ICE will play fairly with all those who seek justice within our immigration system. Mr. Joseph is a good man. A man who takes care of his family and his community, and a man who sets an example for those around him that it is possible to achieve success even when you start with less than nothing.”
As of right now, 21 Savage’s immigration case is still pending. The rapper is permitted to travel around the country, but cannot leave the United States until the case is resolved. At the time of his arrest in February 2019, ICE was heavily criticized for a statement that called his public persona “false.”
