Austin, TX-hailing psych-Americana band Lord Buffalo are "devastated" to cancel their European tour after US Customs and Border Protection "forcibly removed" drummer Yamal Said from a flight.
As per a post on the Lord Buffalo Instagram account, Said — a Mexican citizen who is a green card-holding US permanent resident — has been detained after being taken off of their scheduled flight out of the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on Monday (May 12). A recent update to the post adds that the drummer has now secured legal representation, and the band are "waiting to hear what comes next."
"We want to reiterate that we truly don't know what's going on," Lord Buffalo wrote. "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."
See the full post from the band below.
According to Billboard, Donald Trump's promises to carry out mass deportations are having a particularly profound impact on the Latin music industry, with numerous artists reporting a notable drop in attendance at their shows. The administration's abhorrent decision to only recognize biological sex on immigration forms has also prevented trans artists like Toronto singer-songwriter Bells Larsen from being able to tour stateside.