Hours after his release from Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York, rapper Shyne has yet to taste freedom.
The former Bad Boy artist, born Jamal Barrow, was transfered directly to a federal detention center, while authorities review his immigrations status to determine whether or not he will be deported to his native Belize.
Since the passing of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, resident aliens and naturalized American Citizens have been exposed to a much larger number of deportations, based on criminal acts.
The laws became even more heavily enforced after the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York and Washington, DC.
Even small misdemeanors such as drunk driving or shoplifting can be used as the basis to start an often lengthy removal process.
Shyne, who changed his name no Moses Michael Leviy after upon converting to Judaism in 2006, served more than nine years of a ten year sentence on assault and attempted murder charges.
If it is determined that Shyne will face deportation or removal proceedings, he would likely remain in federal custody until an immigration judge rules on two points.
The proceedings would require for a judge to first make a determination of the Brooklyn MC’s removability according to all current and applicable laws. The judge would then determine whether, as a permanent resident alien or naturalized American citizen, Shyne qualifies for any form of relief from removal.
The news of Shyne’s pending release on Tuesday (October 6) was viewed as only a possibility by fans until the announcement that he had in fact been released was made early Tuesday afternoon.
It was not the first time rumors of the rapper’s release had hit the internet. His attorney, Oscar Michelen, blames the New York Department of Corrections Inmate Lookup system.
“If you have the information, it will show you that [Shyne's] earlier release date was originally April [of this year] and then June,” Michelen told MTV News. “And we don't now how that was in there. But it showed that. And then what would happen is before a release date, [an inmate] would get produced before a parole board, and in the institution, there would be rumors that [Shyne] was up for parole.”
