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This weekend, while many were focused on who would come out on top at the Super Bowl another story emerged that took over headlines. Rapper 21 Savage was arrested by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), who says he is illegally living in the United States, CNN reports.
Apparently Savage’s real name is Shayaabin Abraham-Joseph and he is a citizen of the United Kingdom. Well go figure. Despite his gangsta persona and lyrics, Savage reportedly came to the US in 2005 when he was 13-years-old. His visa reportedly expired in 2006.
“Mr. Abraham-Joseph is presently in ICE custody in Georgia and has been placed into removal proceedings before the federal immigration courts,” ICE said in a statement. “ICE will now await the outcome of his case before a federal immigration judge to determine future actions.”
Savage’s lawyer issued this statement,
“We are working diligently to get Mr. Abraham-Joseph out of detention while we work with the authorities to clear up any misunderstandings,” Dina LaPolt said in a statement to CNN. “Mr. Abraham-Joseph is a role model to the young people in this country, especially in Atlanta, Georgia, and is actively working in the community leading programs to help underprivileged youths in financial literacy.”
While many celebrities came to Savage’s defense, Demi Lovato (like many of us) admitted that she thought the memes surrounding the story were hilarious. However, it didn’t take long before the Black community, led by Wale, to “check” Demi then make a joke about it at her expense.
Demi eventually deactivated her Twitter account. See #BlackTwitter’s reaction to it all, below: