Lord Buffalo drummer Yamal Said was forcibly removed from a flight to Europe by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport earlier this week, according to the band’s social media posts. Said, a lawful U.S. permanent resident and Mexican citizen, was detained, prompting the Austin-based rock band to cancel their upcoming European tour to focus on his safety and legal situation.
According to NBC News, CBP confirmed that Said was detained due to “an active arrest warrant” and subsequently handed over to local law enforcement. No additional information on the warrant’s nature was disclosed, and inquiries to the Department of Homeland Security and the Dallas-Fort Worth Department of Public Safety have gone unanswered.
However, KUT News further reported that online jail records indicate Said is being held in Tarrant County on charges of violating a protective order at least twice in the past year, a felony in Texas that could result in two years of prison time. The Llano County Sheriff’s Office issued the warrant. Based on the KUT news report, no evidence suggests his immigration status is under review. Austin immigration lawyer Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch told the outlet that green card holders can face deportation depending on the conviction.
The band initially stated they had no contact with Said, but later confirmed he had secured legal counsel. They updated their message to ask for privacy at the request of Said’s family and attorney. The Austin Chronicle highlighted Said’s deep ties to the local community. He has lived in Austin since the 1980s and works as Coverage Coordinator at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Assistant principal Paul Carlson praised Said as a “highly respected” member of the school community and said he has contacted elected officials on Said’s behalf. As of now, Said remains in custody.
Lord Buffalo issued the following statements on Wednesday (14) this week via Social Media:
“We appreciate the tremendous outpouring of support from y’all today. We still know very little about the situation, but we have been asked by our drummer’s family and his legal team to respect their privacy while this situation evolves. We intend to do so, and we send all our love their way. We’ll share updates from the family when we can. Thanks again for everyone’s support. -LB”
“UPDATE: Thank you for your outpouring of support it means the world to us. Our drummer has secured the legal representation he needs and we are waiting to hear what comes next. 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.
We are heartbroken to announce we have to cancel our upcoming European tour. Our drummer, 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.”
