News spread Wednesday that agents with U.S. Customs and Border Protection pulled an Austin musician with legal permanent residence off a plane headed to Europe, further fueling concern about an escalating immigration crackdown from the Trump administration.
Members of Lord Buffalo wrote on social media that their bandmate, Yamal Said, was removed from a flight leaving the Dallas-Fort Worth area Monday afternoon. The band was headed to Amsterdam to start their European tour, which they have since canceled.
But KUT News has not been able to confirm a connection between the arrest and his immigration status. Instead, Said's removal from the plane appears to be related to a criminal warrant.
A CBP spokesperson confirmed Wednesday that the agency took Said off an international flight because of an active arrest warrant. Said is a Mexican citizen and a legal permanent resident of the U.S. The spokesperson said he was turned over to local law enforcement.
KUT News reached out to the band via email and text, but a member said they did not have a comment.
Online jail records indicate Said is being held in a Tarrant County jail for allegedly violating a protective order, also known as a restraining order, at least twice in the past year. In Texas, this is a felony. A conviction could result in at least two years of jail time.
The warrant for Said’s arrest was issued by the Llano County Sheriff’s Office. KUT News reached out to the sheriff’s office in an attempt to get additional arrest documents Wednesday, but was not able to by deadline.
Multiple searches of a immigration detention database did not yield any results for Said's name.
George Lobb, a criminal defense attorney in Austin, said removing someone with a felony warrant from an international flight is not unusual.
“It’s not uncommon for people to get pulled off of planes entering the U.S. and departing from the U.S. when they have felony warrants," Lobb said.
Lord Buffalo removed an earlier post from Instagram in which the band described Said being taken off the Amsterdam flight. A new post asked for privacy.
"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 Wednesday evening.
The Trump administration has threatened to revoke the legal immigration status of some permanent legal residents of the U.S., also known as green card holders. But these cases have focused on people speaking out against the war in Gaza.
Regardless, an Austin immigration lawyer said green card holders can also face immigration action, including deportation, because of a criminal conviction.
"Many crimes are considered deportable offenses," said Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, who has been an immigration attorney for nearly two decades.
