Lord Buffalo, a self-described psych-Americana band from Austin, have canceled their European tour after their drummer, a legal US resident, was detained by the US customs and border patrol. Yamal Said, who the band says is a Mexican citizen and holds a green card as a permanent resident of the US, was "forcibly removed" from their flight out of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Monday. "He has not been released, and we have been unable to contact him," the band writes on their social media accounts. "We are currently working with an immigration lawyer to find out more information and to attempt to secure his release." In an update posted to Instagram a few hours later, the band adds, "Our drummer has secured the legal representation he needs and we are waiting to hear what comes next."
Here's the full text of their post:
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.
And here's the update:
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 will keep you posted as much as we can. At this time the family asks for privacy as they navigate the situation.
UPDATE 2: Customs and Border Protection tells Austin's KUT News that Said was removed from the flight due to an outstanding criminal warrant for violating a restraining order multiple times in the past year — a felony charge that could lead to two years in prison. The arrest was reportedly not related to his immigration status.
