The music industry’s uneasy relationship with immigration policy took center stage last week when Lord Buffalo’s European tour plans crumbled at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. The Austin-based band’s drummer, Yamal Said, was forcibly removed from their Dallas-bound flight by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents—despite his decades-long status as a legal permanent resident.
The shocking development left the heavy psychedelic-Americana quartet scrambling to cancel their highly anticipated eight-date European tour. Said, who hasn’t been able to contact his bandmates since the May 12 incident, has become yet another artist caught in the increasingly complex web of border control measures.
“We are devastated to cancel this tour,” the band shared in a raw statement that spread quickly across social media, “but we are focusing all of our energy and resources on Yamal’s safety and freedom.” The group had been set to support their latest album “Holus Bolus” alongside Swedish co-headliners Orsak:Oslo.
Said’s story cuts particularly deep in Austin’s tight-knit music community. Since arriving from Mexico City in the late ’80s following a devastating earthquake, he’s woven himself into the fabric of the city’s cultural landscape. Between his performances with the Black and his role teaching music at the Texas School for the Blind, Said exemplifies the kind of artistic contribution that enriches American cultural life.
Orsak:Oslo, now continuing their European dates solo, didn’t hold back their frustration. “No one should be pulled off a plane and jailed for simply trying to travel and make art with their band,” the group stated, adding, “We won’t pretend to understand the full complexity of the situation, but this should not happen anywhere.”
The incident reflects a troubling pattern. British punk veterans U.K. Subs faced entry denials, with bassist Alvin Gibbs suggesting his critical stance toward previous political administrations might have influenced their rejection. Trans artists like Montreal’s Bells Larsen have encountered additional hurdles due to policies that fail to recognize gender identity, while visa complications have derailed tours for established acts from FKA twigs to Poland’s Trupa Trupa.
A glimmer of hope emerged when Said’s bandmates confirmed he “has secured the legal representation he needs.” Yet as his family requests privacy during this ordeal, the incident raises unsettling questions about the precarious intersection of artistic expression and immigration policy—even for those who’ve called America home for generations.
The situation serves as a stark reminder of how quickly creative aspirations can unravel at the crossroads of art and bureaucracy. As summer festival season approaches and international touring picks up post-pandemic momentum, the music community watches closely, wondering who might be next to face similar challenges at America’s increasingly complex borders.
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