Politics
American Band Cancels Tour After Drummer Is Arrested By Border Patrol
A popular rock band is trashing U.S. Customs and Border Protection after their drummer was arrested, but the Trump administration quickly responded by pointing out that the immigration agency had a very good reason for doing so.
The band Lord Buffalo said they have been forced to cancel the remaining leg of their international tour after drummer Yamil Said was picked up by CBP agents and whisked away to an unknown location. Bandmates of Said said they haven’t been able to contact him or discover his whereabouts.
Said was pulled off a plane by agents at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport on Monday.
“He has not been released, and we have been unable to contact him,” the band wrote online, saying Said is a green card holder from Mexico.
They added the band is “heartbroken” about having to cancel the remainder of their 2025 tour.
“We are currently working with an immigration lawyer to find out more information and to attempt to secure his release,” the statement added.
After mainstream media outlets picked up the story, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security responded, saying Said was picked up for an outstanding warrant.
“Yamal Said is a Mexican national and lawful U.S. permanent resident,” the DHS’s social media account stated.
“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.”
President Donald Trump has doubled down on securing the border through apprehensions of criminal noncitizens, starting with those accused of violent crimes and later expanding to include nonviolent crimes such as the one allegedly committed by Said. DHS, CBP, and U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement have been tasked with carrying out the “largest mass deportation” of illegal immigrants in the nation’s history.
Democrats, meanwhile, have seethed about the arrest of nonviolent noncitizens such as anti-Israel college students who have had their visas revoked by the U.S. State Department. The arrest of former Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil became a flashpoint in the running debate over what type of activity by protestors should qualify for revocation of privileges to live in the U.S.
The remaining members of Lord Buffalo said they’ve been in touch with Said’s family, who are advising them to lay low for now.
“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,” they said, according to the Daily Mail.
By Thursday, the band said, Said had “secured legal representation” while adding that “we truly don’t know what’s going on.”
Online jail records reviewed by local station KUT News appear to indicate that Said is guilty of violating a restraining order. There are no further details on the charges.
