21 Savage’s arrest by ICE has been a surprise to fans, a meme and a chance for conversation. The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested the rapper on Sunday, Feb. 3.

21 Savage, who is formally known as She’yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, has apparently overstayed his visa since moving to the United States at the age of 12. The rapper was announced to have British citizenship, which seems to have knocked him off the pedestal of self-identification that he had set himself up on.

His arrest was followed by an announcement to fans, which was received negatively. Writers Eric Levenson  and Nick Valencia wrote on CNN.com about the direct reason behind ICE’s detainment of 21 Savage, “The agency alleges that he entered the U.S. legally in July 2005, when he was a minor, but subsequently failed to depart under the terms of his nonimmigrant visa. ICE says Abraham-Joseph became unlawfully present when his visa expired in July 2006.”

Fans started to feel as if they have been lied to by the Atlanta rapper, who adhered to “Blood” gang terminology and announced Georgia as his home. One Twitter user with the handle @Guccimansam wrote, “21 not a blood, he’s a redcoat …#21Savage.” Through such a tweet, one can see that ICE does not seem to be the only figure attempting to displace 21 Savage.

21 Savage’s arrest was not only a surprise, but also a conversation starter in many realms, extending beyond memes and feelings of betrayal. ICE’s main reason for the rapper’s arrest was an expired visa, yet 21 Savage’s lawyers claim that ICE has been aware of the rapper’s location in the U.S. and his immigration status in recent years. Many people were quick to discredit the identity claimed by 21 Savage, going as far as revoking his label as an “Atlanta rapper.”

A recent New York Times article stated, “An ICE spokesman has reportedly said that 21 Savage’s ‘whole public persona is false.’ Through such claims, ICE has tried to diminish 21 Savage’s career because of his immigration status and by implying that his experiences as a black man in America, chronicled by much of his music, are invalidated because of his birthplace.”

Fellow rapper Jay-Z hired attorney Alex Spiro to stand by 21 Savage’s side. Jay-Z has made a firm stand on behalf of the rapper’s case, in stating, “The arrest and detention of 21 Savage is an absolute travesty, his U visa petition has been pending for 4 years. In addition to being a successful recording artist, 21 deserves to be reunited with his children immediately, #Free21Savage.”

A recent CNN tweet stated that 21 Savage will “miss Sunday’s show. He instead will be sitting in a detention facility, where he awaits immigration proceedings that will determine if the British-born rapper can stay in the country.”