Rapper 21 Sav believes immigrants like him, who lived in America illegally as children, should automatically become US citizens. Grammy-minated artist, who this year was held in federal immigration detention, told Associated Press on Thursday night that such immigrants also shouldn’t have to endure lengthy process to obtain visas. He spoke in an exclusive interview before receiving an award from National Immigration Law Center.

“When you’re a child, you don’t kw what’s going on,” he said. “w, you grow up and got to figure it out. Can’t get a job. Can’t get a license. I’m one of lucky ones who became successful. It’s a lot of people who can’t.”

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NILC hors 21 Sav for vocating immigrant justice

NILC hored 21 Sav for being an vocate for immigrant justice. He was arrested in February in what US Immigration and Customs Enforcement said was a targeted operation over his expired visa. He spent 10 days in a detention center in south Georgia before being released. Atlanta-based rapper whose given name is She’ yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, is a British citizen who moved to US when he was seven years old. His visa expired in 2006, but his lawyers h said that it wasn’t his fault.

“When you ain’t got choice, you should be exempt,” 21 Sav said. “It’s t like I was 30, woke up and moved over here. I’ve been here since I was like 7 or 8, probably younger than that. I didn’t kw anything about visas and all that. I just knew we were moving to a new place”. He said people in his shoes should be me citizens. “I feel like we should be exempt,” he reiterated. “I feel like we should automatically become citizens”

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rapper's citizenship crisis

Federal immigration officials have kwn 21 Sav’s status since at least 2017 when he applied for a new visa. 26-year-old rapper’s immigration case still remains pending a hearing before a new judge, according to his lawyer. 21 Sav said that process to apply for a visa discours a lot of or immigrants who don’t have documents because it “hangs over your he forever”. “y just lose hope,” he said. “I feel like kids who were brought here at young s, y should automatically be like ‘Yeah, you good to stay here, work and go to college.’ It should be nipped in bud before it gets to a point before you come of ”.

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21 Sav's move for black immigrants earns him Courous Luminaries award

Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors applauded 21 Sav for becoming an vocate for social justice and also shedding light on immigrant issues for black people. “Up until moment when he was arrested, re wasn’t a nationally or public conversation about black immigrants,” said Cullors, who introduced 21 Sav and handed him Courous Luminaries award. Her activist organisation led a coalition to facilitate his release from ICE custody. “ conversation primarily revolved around Latin immigrants,” she continued. “His detention really pushed a national conversation and it me us talk about what’s happening with black people who are undocumented. All black people in America aren’t just citizens". 21 Sav was thankful for award but said re are countless immigrants who are battling to stay in US.

“We got a fight that we need to continue in this country,” he said. “It ain’t over yet. Even after everything is cool with me, we still have to fight and help people who can’t fight for mselves.”

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