If you haven’t been living under a rock these past two weeks, then you know that 21 Savage, also known as Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, was arrested by agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). There were allegations that he has been residing in the United States illegally for over ten years.
ICE stated that the rapper was actually born in the U.K. and came to the U.S. illegally at the age of seven (which was clearly not under his control). 21 Savage was being held in custody by ICE in Georgia.
Twitter flooded with 21 Savage memes about him being born in the U.K. However, a large amount of the Twitter community realized that immigration laws not only affect the Hispanic/Latino community, but all communities. What started out as a joke soon became a frightening realization for immigrant families.
Immigration affects all racial communities, and this is not a fight we should leave to the Hispanic/Latino community alone. We cannot just stand around and watch more and more families get separated because of our current immigration policies.
21 Savage’s case should inspire you to educate yourself on our immigration laws. This may have been a rare case because of 21 Savage’s fame, but situations like his happen every single day. This country depends on us to do more than retweet a thread on Twitter. Here are some ways you can take action:
- Call your representatives and encourage others to do the same.
- Find a local protest or organize your own.
- Keep talking about it.