In a recent Instagram post, the band dropped this bombshell: their European tour is canceled because drummer Yamal Said got plucked off their flight by Customs and Border Protection. Because nothing says “land of the free” like yanking a green card holder off a plane mid-Dallas layover. Cool cool cool.
Said – Mexican citizen, lawful permanent resident, and apparently CBP’s latest target – is now MIA. Turns out “legal status” is just fancy paperwork these days if your melanin levels offend the feds. Who knew ICE agents doubled as skincare critics? The band hasn’t heard from him since the jackboot squad rolled up, and even their lawyer’s stuck on hold with the world’s worst customer service hotline.
“We are heartbroken to announce we have to cancel our upcoming European tour. 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. We are devastated to cancel this tour, but we are focusing all of our energy and resources on Yamal’s safety and freedom. We are hopeful that this is a temporary setback and that it could be safe for us to reschedule this tour in the future. In our absence, our touring partners Orsak:Oslo will continue to perform the tour. We urge everyone to go see this amazing band and support them over the next couple weeks.”
On a slightly more cheerful note: ORSAK:OSLO (Norway’s answer to art-rock melancholy, and veterans of making existential dread sound real pretty) will carry the tour torch. Catch them if you’re in Europe – they’ve got more atmospheric vibes than a Scandinavian fog machine convention.
