Yamal Said, the dynamic drummer of the new Texas-based rock band Lord Buffalo, was temporarily imprisoned by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on May 12. This occurred following his removal from a flight at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Said, a Mexican citizen and lawful permanent resident of the United States, was looking forward to traveling with his bandmates on an eight-date concert tour of Europe. They’d been preparing to tour behind their new album, Holus Bolus, with the tour planned to launch on May 15th in the Netherlands.
We are deeply alarmed by Said’s detention. He has not been able to communicate with his band mates in the past 48 hours. The whole incident has left the band in a precarious position. Now, they’re being price-gouged into having to cancel their long-planned European tour. The tour was supposed to end in Iceland, but the continuing crisis with Said has made those plans impossible.
A longtime Austinite since moving to the city in the 1980s, Said is a familiar and respected fixture within the community of musicians. In addition, he is the drummer for Lord Buffalo. In addition to this ensemble, Mara teaches music at the Texas School for the Blind. His past collaborations include playing with the band The Black. This experience only deepened his notoriety, establishing him as one of the leading players in Austin’s rich and diverse musical scene.
The circumstances surrounding Said’s detention remain unclear. But thankfully, he has hired legal firepower to make things right. On social media, his bandmates have shared their grave concern, confusion, and hope in not knowing yet what’s happened to him.
“We are waiting to hear what comes next,” – Lord Buffalo
In a statement shared after news broke of Said’s detention, the band explained their sense of hopelessness. In a statement, they said they had “more questions than answers,” asking for privacy as they deal with this new, difficult chapter in their lives.
“We are heartbroken to announce we have to cancel our upcoming European tour,” – Lord Buffalo
Many other artists and industry voices have spoken out against the mistreatment of Said. Orsak: Oslo, a fellow musician, criticized the situation, stating, “No one should be pulled off a plane and jailed for simply trying to travel and make art with their band. We won’t pretend to understand the full complexity of the situation, but this should not happen anywhere.”
Alan Gibbs, another close friend and confidant of Said, is a fixture in the Austin music community. He suggested that there may be political considerations at play here. If my previous critical statements on the current administration might have led to Said’s detention. Best case, the impact of his actual words wouldn’t have changed the situation.
“whether my frequent, and less than flattering, public comments regarding their president and his administration played a role – or perhaps I’m simply succumbing to paranoia” – Alan Gibbs
Yamal Said’s bandmates and supporters are currently working to free Said. They are focused on greater transparency around what happened to cause him to be removed from the flight. This attack deeply affects Lord Buffalo. It highlights urgent broader questions around immigration policy that impact artist mobility.