Grammy nominated rapper 21 Savage was arrested early Sunday morning in Atlanta by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The agency says he is here illegally in the United States. The rapper, whose real name is Shayaabin Abraham-Joseph, is a citizen of the United Kingdom. He entered the United States legally in July 2005, when he was a minor, but had failed depart of the terms of his nonimigrant visa.  He became unlawfully present when his visa expired in July 2006.

“Mr. Abraham-Joseph is presently in ICE custody in Georgia and has been placed into removal proceedings before the federal immigrants courts,” ICE said in a statement. ” ICE will now await the outcome of his case before a federal immigration judge to determine future actions.”

An attorney for 21 Savage said his representatives were working to secure his release. ” We are working diligently to get Mr. Abraham-Joseph out of detention while we work with the authorities to clear up 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 unprivileged youths in financial literacy.”

He was also convicted on felony drug charges in October of 2014 in Fulton County, Georgia, ICE said. ICE’s allegation that he is British came as a shock to his fans, as he is the most associated with Atlanta. 21 Savage said the “21” in his name is a reference to a street gang in Decatur, and his songs often refer to his past in East Atlanta’s Zone 6. In his song ” Bank Account,” he raps that he is “straight up out the 6”

Lakewood’s own Alexander Blinky said, “I think that they should just let him stay because they are just now finding out and he has a huge fan base and he has also created a huge success for himself.