A drummer and U.S. green card holder for a band based in Texas was taken off a flight by federal immigration officials on Monday, just prior to the band’s departure for a European tour.
Yamal Said, a member of the heavy Americana band Lord Buffalo, was apprehended at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport by agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). They stated they had a warrant for his arrest because he allegedly breached a restraining order on at least two occasions, according to the Department of Homeland Security’s announcement 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.
Paul Carlson, the school’s assistant principal, described Said as “a highly respected and long-serving member of our school community,” as reported by the Austin Chronicle.
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.
Said and his band were set to depart Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport for a European tour. Passengers seen at the airport in 2023. (Shelby Tauber/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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.”
