For the first time since being released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on $100,000 bond, 21 Savage is speaking his piece. After countless statements on his behalf, he is breaking it all down in his own words.
He appeared on Good Morning America Friday, speaking to Linsey Davis about the arrest and his fears of deportation.
The young rapper, born She’yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, recounted the arrest as it happened, noting he only saw “blue lights and guns” while driving before he heard ICE agents yell, “We got Savage!” He was then thrown in the back of a car.
“It was definitely targeted,” he stated.
You may recall that days before the arrest, 21 Savage performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. One of his lyrics was, “Been through some things, but I couldn’t imagine my kids stuck at the border.”
When directly asked if that performance sparked the arrest, 21 Savage deferred to his legal team, who believe such is the case. Alex Spiro, the lawyer lent to 21 Savage by Jay-Z, also spoke with ABC News in connection with the rapper’s much-anticipated interview.
“Part of the reason is because he’s both a celebrity and they can use this as a way to send a message and also, perhaps, because of his music,” said Spiro on Friday.
Another one of 21 Savage’s attorneys, Dina LaPolt, pointed out the sketchy timing, noting government officials would’ve already known his citizen status when he applied for a U-Visa, his application currently pending.
“The Trump administration, their policies on immigration have been pretty debilitating. And I think that, you know, they look for ways to make examples of people,” she noted.
“I didn’t know what a visa was,” 21 Savage said, noting he knew he wasn’t born here in America, but pointed out, “This is all I know.”
As Davis pointed out, 21 Savage was released on $100,000 bond.
“We don’t make bond decisions,” ICE spokesperson Bryan Cox told ABC during a phone interview on Thursday. “All I can say is, ICE is a law enforcement agency and ICE respects the decisions of the [immigration] courts.”
As of now, 21 Savage has one priority: to become a U.S. citizen.