A few days ago, 21 Savage was released from ICE custody on bond while he awaits his deportation hearing. It didn’t take long for him to land his first interview since his release: The rapper appeared on this morning’s episode of Good Morning America, and he talked about his situation, including the possibility that he could be deported.
"I've been here 20 years. This is all I know." @21Savage says he doesn't believe people should be placed in jail for being in the country too long. Now, he says he wants to bring awareness to immigration policies and the "pain" they are causing people. pic.twitter.com/apstaY2RZI
— Good Morning America (@GMA) February 15, 2019
When asked if he’s concerned that he might get “kicked out” of the country, Savage responded, “Yeah, but I feel like I’ve been through so much in my life, I’ve learned to embrace the times that I’m down, because they always build me up.”
He also talked about being from Atlanta, saying that he’s been there for so long that it’s all he knows: “I’ve been here 20 years, 19 years… this is all I know, you know what I’m saying? I don’t feel like you should be arrested and put in a place where a murderer would be for just being in the country for too long.”
Savage also described what the scene was like when he got arrested, saying he was never really told what was happening: “I don’t even know [what happened]. I was just driving and I just seen guns and blue lights, and then I was in the back of a car and I was gone. […] They didn’t say nothing. They just said, ‘We got Savage.’ […] It was definitely targeted.”
Watch clips from 21 Savage’s Good Morning America interview above and below.
"I don't think the policy is broken, I think the way they enforce the policy is broken." @21Savage speaks out for the first time after his immigration arrest to @LinseyDavis. https://t.co/8XGtNj5gS2 pic.twitter.com/i0jwEHfIEL
— Good Morning America (@GMA) February 15, 2019
"They said 'We got Savage'" @21Savage tells @LinseyDavis he believes his arrest was targeted when he was pulled over in Atlanta says before the Super Bowl. https://t.co/8XGtNj5gS2 pic.twitter.com/yKREn5GyQ7
— Good Morning America (@GMA) February 15, 2019
"I didn't know what a visa was." @21Savage's visa expired in 2006, but he says he had no idea how it would impact him down the road as an adult. https://t.co/8XGtNj5gS2 pic.twitter.com/9OWA1eiAur
— Good Morning America (@GMA) February 15, 2019
.@21Savage's lawyers believe this arrest had to do with a music video he released for his song "A Lot" that criticizes immigration policies on the border. https://t.co/8XGtNj5gS2 pic.twitter.com/5xiPoqhfs5
— Good Morning America (@GMA) February 15, 2019
"We believe he was targeted because he's a celebrity and they can use this to send a message." @21Savage's lawyer says the rapper wants to bring awareness and fight for people who don't have the same resources that he does. pic.twitter.com/IuqRfNeGZD
— Good Morning America (@GMA) February 15, 2019