21 Savage remains a prisoner America’s immigration system.
Nine months after being released from ICE custody, the rapper is still unable to leave the country and his career has been severely impaired.
Savage, born She’yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Feb. 3 in Atlanta for overstaying his visa. He entered the U.S. legally from the U.K. in 2005, but his visa expired and he was in the process attempting to get a U-Visa.
According to TMZ, Savage wasn’t able to get a work permit for eight months, which meant he couldn’t work domestically. He finally received a permit last month, so he can work in the U.S., but he won’t be able to travel outside the country until he gets approval from immigration.
And it may take years for a resolution. Savage hasn’t even received a court date yet and Atlanta’s immigration courts are overcrowded with hundreds backlogged cases. Some people have received court dates for 2022.
Meanwhile, Savage remains in demand. He can be heard on the remixes to Alicia Keys’ “Show Me Love” and Normani’s “Motivation.” Last week, he also dropped the long-awaited “Immortal” from Mortal Kombat 11.