A drummer and green card holder for a Texas-based band was removed from a flight by federal immigration officials on Monday before the band was set to depart for a European tour.
Yamal Said, a member of the heavy Americana band Lord Buffalo, was detained at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents who said they had a warrant for his arrest after he allegedly violated a restraining order at least twice, the Department of Homeland Security said on X.
Violating a protective order two or more times can lead to it becoming a felony in Texas, based on the circumstances.
“Yamal Said is a Mexican national and lawful U.S. permanent resident,” the agency wrote on X sharing a news headline about the incident.
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“Said had a warrant for his arrest after violating a restraining order at least TWICE. If you come to our country and break our laws, you will be arrested. When he was attempting to leave the U.S., he was apprehended by CBP and has been turned over to local law enforcement.”
The exact nature of the protective order has not been made public. Said is currently being held at the Tarrant County Corrections Center.
Said moved to the U.S. in the 1980s after a devastating earthquake hit Mexico City, Voyage Austin previously reported. He has been the band’s drummer for the last eight years and teaches music for Texas School for the Blind based in Austin, the outlet reported.
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Paul Carlson, assistant principal at the school, remarked that Said is “a highly respected and long-serving member of our school community,” the Austin Chronicle reported.
Said’s detention forced the band to announce on social media that it had canceled its tour.
“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,” the band wrote.
The band had been preparing for an eight-date European tour in support of their latest album, “Holus Bolus,” with Norwegian band Orsak:Oslo, the Austin Chronicle reported.
“No one should be pulled off a plane and jailed for simply trying to travel and make art with their band,” Orsak:Oslo wrote on social media Wednesday. “We won’t pretend to understand the full complexity of the situation, but this should not happen anywhere.”
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