Rock Band Calls Off Tour Following Drummer’s Removal from Plane by U.S. Border Authorities

Lorde Buffalo has been forced to cancel their European tour (Picture: AP)

An American rock band has been compelled to cancel its European tour after its drummer, Yamal Said, was detained by US Customs and Border Protection in Texas. The band explained in an online post that Said was removed from a plane at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, despite being a legal US resident.

On their way to the summer tour, the band has had no contact with Said for two days. The drummer is a Mexican citizen but a legal permanent resident of the United States and holds a green card. According to the Austin Chronicle, Said has been a resident of Austin, Texas since the 1980s.

‘We are heartbroken to announce we have to cancel our upcoming European tour,’ the band wrote on Instagram on Wednesday.

Said is a Mexican citizen and, as a green card holder, is a lawful permanent resident of the United States (Picture: Instagram/lordbuffalo)

The band wrote that they were focused on ensuring Said’s safety (Picture: Facebook)

They expressed gratitude to fans for their support in the latest update (Picture: Facebook)

‘Our drummer, Yamal Said, who is a Mexican citizen and lawful permanent resident of the United States (green card holder), was forcibly removed from our flight to Europe by Customs and Border Patrol at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on Monday, May 12.’

‘He has not been released, and we have been unable to contact him. We are currently working with an immigration lawyer to find out more information and to attempt to secure his release.’ An update to the statement on Wednesday afternoon informed fans that the drummer had ‘secured the legal representation he needs.’

‘We are waiting to hear what comes next,’ they said. ‘We want to reiterate that we truly don’t know what’s going on. We have more questions than answers, but we will keep you posted as much as we can. At this time, the family asks for privacy as they navigate the situation.’

The band was due to embark on an eight-date European tour (Picture: American Buffalo/Instagram)

A stalwart of the Austin music scene, Said formerly played with the band the Black and now works as a music instructor for the Texas School for the Blind, according to the Austin Chronicle. The band was scheduled to go on an eight-date European tour to play and promote their latest album Holus Bolus. The tour, alongside the Swedish band Orsak:Oslo, was set to commence on May 15 in the Netherlands.

In a statement on social media, Orsak:Oslo, who will continue with the tour, wrote: ‘No one should be pulled off a plane and jailed for simply trying to travel and make art with their band. We won’t pretend to understand the full complexity of the situation, but this should not happen anywhere.’ Said’s detention is part of a wider immigration crackdown under the Trump administration.

The drummer was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers (Picture: AP)

Trump’s immigration crackdown includes increased instances of ICE raids and detainments (Picture: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

On Monday, Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, stated that the US has deported approximately 139,000 illegal immigrants since Trump returned to the White House. On April 28, Trump signed an executive order targeting sanctuary cities that have acted as havens for undocumented immigrants and have refused to cooperate with federal efforts to arrest them. The order directs the attorney general and homeland security secretary to publish a list of cities and states that have not complied with federal laws surrounding immigration. The President also signed executive orders aimed at expanding ICE’s ability to arrest and detain unlawful migrants on US soil.

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