[Smells Like News] Is Shyne's Deportation To Belize Imminent?
Immigration officials detained the rapper immediately after his release from prison.
By Jayson Rodriguez
Shyne
Photo: MTV News
Shyne's deportation appears imminent, according to a conversation Hot 97's Angie Martinez recently had with the detained rapper off-air.
The Belize-born former Bad Boy recording artist has been held in custody by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement since completing his prison sentence on October 6 for his role in the infamous 1999 Club New York shooting also involving Diddy and his then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez.
Shyne served nearly nine years of a 10-year sentence after pleading guilty to first-degree assault among other charges in 2001.
Immigration officials detained the rapper, and members of his camp told MTV News at the time that Shyne's immigration status was being evaluated. Speculation about whether the rapper would be deported swirled; Shyne has been in a federal facility for weeks now in Buffalo, New York, awaiting his fate.
Hot 97 news director Miss Info reported Martinez's conversation with Shyne's on her Web site. Martinez said that Shyne believes he'll be relocated soon to Belize, where he will then continue to fight for a pardon from New York's Governor David Paterson. It remains unclear exactly why Shyne is being detained and ultimately deported as of press time.
A spokesman for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement told MTV News on Wednesday (October 21) that Shyne was still in custody, but would not release details pending his case.
"We would never discuss any individual or group of individuals, if we had a deportation operation under way for security reasons," Michael Gilhooly said.
Gilhooly confirmed a Shyne is being held in custody for violation of an immigration law, but he would not identify which law.
In the past, Governor Paterson stepped in to stop a deportation attempt on rap veteran Slick Rick by pardoning the England-born star. However, the "Children's Story" MC had been free for a number of years before officials attempted to deport him. Shyne's case differs in that the rapper was immediately detained following completion of his jail sentence.
Although the matter at hand seems to be whether a non-born resident can continue to live in this country after having committed a violent crime, immigration laws are difficult to grasp.
According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Web site, a child born outside the country to a parent of American citizenship can become a citizen, but the circumstances around the law vary depending on birthday.
"Whether someone born outside the United States to a U.S. citizen parent or parents is a U.S. citizen depends on the law in effect when the person was born," the information reads.
Shyne's father resides in Belize, but his mother currently lives in the States. The rapper was raised in Brooklyn, New York, and often represented the borough in many of his songs. He reportedly is attempting to return to a living situation with his mother and grandmother.
Shyne has retained noted Harvard professor Charles Ogletree to assist him in his fight against immigration. An inquiry made by MTV News to a publicist and lawyer for Shyne has not been returned as of press time.
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Posted By sysop to Smells Like News at 10/21/2009 02:09:00 P
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