US Government Trying to Deport Slick Rick AGAIN!

Legendary rapper Slick Rick, aka “Ricky D” and “the Ruler,” is bein’ sweated by the federales once again. Rick was born in England, but immigrated to the Bronx when he was 11 years old. Known for his trademark eye patch and gold chains, Rick’s career took off in the 80’s with classics such as “Children’s Story” and “La Di Da Di.”

At the height of his fame, Rick was arrested and later convicted on attempted murder charges after shooting at his cousin (who he claimed was extorting money from him). He did a 5-year stint in the pen, and made a comeback in the 90’s when he collaborated with Snoop Dogg, Outkast, Nas, Raekwon, and Doug E. Fresh.

So why do the feds want to deport a man who paid his debt to society and has tried to move on? Well, in 1996, a law was passed that aimed to ship out foreigners who have been convicted of violent felonies. However this law wasn’t enforced much until the Bush administration and the 9/11 attacks came along.

During this time, in June 2002, Rick embarked on a cruise to the Caribbean to perform, and he was denied re-entry to the US and arrested by the INS on the basis of that 1996 law. He was detained for over a year with no bail until his release in late 2003. Afterwards, the courts had ruled in Rick’s favor and allowed him to stay in the US.

But now, the US government is once again attempting to deport Slick Rick. As part of their brave and noble efforts to protect its people from evil terrorists, The Department of Homeland Security (which replaced the INS) has re-instated its case against Rick, and a New York appeals court has overturned the ruling that let Rick stay. They’ve also stripped the rapper of his status as a permanent resident. On Tuesday, October 24, there will be a press conference in front of the NY Federal Court Building. The Hip-Hop Action Network, co-chaired by Russell Simmons, will explain Rick’s case to the public.
It looks like we can add protection against double jeopardy to the ever-growing list of our constitutional rights thrown out the window by the Bush administration in this perpetually scary and dangerous post-9/11 world.
Source: Rapper Slick Rick Facing Deportation Again