Austin band Lord Buffalo. The band reports that drummer Yamal Said (left), a legal resident of the U.S., has been detained by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol on the way to their upcoming European tour, and they have had no contact with him since. (Photo by Alison Narro)

The immigration crackdown that has been sweeping up documented U.S. residents and even U.S. citizens has seemingly hit the Austin music scene. Local heavy Americana band Lord Buffalo announced via Facebook and Instagram Wednesday that drummer and legal resident Yamal Said has been held by Customs and Border Patrol for the last two days.

Said has been an Austin resident since the 1980s, when his parents relocated the family here after an earthquake in Mexico City. Currently employed as Coverage Coordinator for the Middle School and High School teams at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, he has been a fixture of the Austin scene for two decades, formerly as a drummer for the Black and as part of Lord Buffalo for the past eight years.

The psychedelic sludge-blues quartet had been preparing for an eight-date European tour in support of their latest album, Holus Bolus, with post-Krautrock noise outfit Orsak:Oslo. The tour was scheduled to begin on May 15, and so they were flying through Dallas Fort Worth International Airport on May 12. According to their statement, this is when Said, who is a Mexican citizen with a green card, was “forcibly removed from our flight to Europe by Customs and Border Patrol.”

Paul Carlson, assistant principal at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, called Said “a highly respected and long-serving member of our school community.” He noted that he has been contacting elected officials to ask them to look into this case.

Lord Buffalo has still not had any contact with Said, they wrote, adding that “we are currently working with an immigration lawyer to find out more information and to attempt to secure his release.”

“We are devastated to cancel this tour, but we are focusing all of our energy and resources on Yamal’s safety and freedom,” the band said. Orsak:Oslo will continue the tour.

Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to clarify Yamal Said’s role with Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and with comments from Assistant Principal Carlson.