21 Savage’s immigration status remains in limbo due to his criminal case.
Most celebrities are used to living the high life and jet-setting all over the globe, which is part of being a superstar, but 29-year-old rapper 21 Savage, will not be going anywhere any time soon, at least not outside of the US. The “No Heart” artiste will just have to cool his heels and wait on the justice system to take its course before he can figure out his next plan of action because of his 2019 immigration case that has now become an albatross around his neck.
Born in London to Caribbean parents, Savage moved to Atlanta with his mother at age seven, but he is still a British citizen. In 2019, 21 Savage, whose real name is Sheyaa Abraham-Joseph, was arrested by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement team (ICE) in Atlanta, Georgia, for overstaying his visa, which according to ICE, means that he was living in the United States illegally. ICE had ascertained that Savage had been in the United States unlawfully since his non-immigrant visa expired in July 2006, although his management team had argued that the artiste has been trying to get his visa renewed since 2017.
Because he also has a criminal charge against him, his entire immigration status is on hold until the criminal case is resolved. Hence, the “Without Warning” entertainer is now basically in limbo, TMZ reported. Though accused of legally overstaying his welcome in the land of the free, his lawyer has since explained that the rapper can travel domestically within the states but cannot leave the country as he does not have a visa to facilitate his re-entering.
Savage’s criminal charges stem from authorities alleging that the rapper threw a bottle of codeine out of the car shortly before his arrest. Police officers also claim that upon searching the vehicle he was in, they also found a handgun. He was subsequently charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of a firearm, but presently, no court date has been set for the Dekalb County case.
This is not his first run-in with the law, as, in October 2014, Savage was convicted of felony drug charges in Fulton County in Georgia. In February 2019, he also turned himself into authorities in response to a warrant issued for his arrest on felony Theft by Deception charges regarding a 2016 show that he was booked to perform on and was paid $17,000. The rapper, however, did not appear and also did not return the money.
Since his 2019 case has surfaced, many have questioned why a rapper with significant resources at his disposal had not simply taken to time to update his status. 21 Savage has maintained that he was personally targeted by the authorities in the operation that led to his arrest.
