Selena Tribute Singer Karol Posadas Freed From ICE Detention Center
Entra prohibido.
Instagram ICE isn't playing these days. And we could have a whole discussion about it. A Selena tribute singer recently found herself on the wrong end of the long arm of the law. Who is Karol Posadas, and what happened to her?
Selena Quintanilla, known simply as Selena, is an artist that needs no introduction. Considered today as the godmother of the "Latin Explosion," Selena was also dubbed the Latin Madonna in her prime thanks to her style of pop music and her unbelievable popularity. Sadly, however, she was shot and killed by her former friend and manager on March 31, 1995. Subsequently, her 1995 crossover album, Dreaming of You, debuted at the top of the Billboard charts, making her the first-ever Latin artist to achieve this honor. As of this writing, Selena has sold more than 65 million albums, making her one of the top-selling Latin artists in history.
But let's look at what we know about her tribute artist, Karol Posadas, and why she scuffled with ICE.
1. Her manager released the news.
According to Chron, Roberto Cadhila, who is Karol Posadas' manager, said that she was detained by ICE at Valley International Airport in Harlingen, Texas. She was being held in El Valle, Texas, pending an investigation, and Cadhila said she was "suffering" because she had a heart condition that required medicine, and she wasn't receiving it while she was in custody.
2. Karol Posadas is a DACA recipient.
According to ABC 7, Karol Posadas is a DACA recipient. The outlet reports that she came to the United States when she was 15 years old to escape problems in her home country of Guatemala. Her DACA papers were being renewed when she was picked up by ICE.
3. She heads up a Selena tribute band called Anything for Salinas.
Much like Selena was the lead singer of her family band, Selena y Los Dinos, Karol Posadas is the lead singer of a tribute band called Anything for Salinas, according to Pasadena Star-News.
4. Karol Posadas' manager put up a GoFundMe page to raise money for legal fees.
"The GoFundMe is seeking $15,000 in order to secure Posadas’ release from the El Valle Detention Facility, claiming she has been kept in substandard conditions and away from necessary medical attention for a heart condition she has," said The Brownsville Herald, who added that the GoFundMe page was subsequently taken down.
5. She was released today.
According to ABC 13, Karol Posadas was released from ICE custody today, as per a statement from the government agency.
6. And now, Karol Posadas says that she plans on bringing it before a court of law.
"Until now I seriously don't know what happened and how I got out. I wouldn't be surprised if they're going to now try to transfer her case over to immigration court and then now she's going to have to take the steps in front of immigration just to prove that she's here lawfully," she said to Fox 10.
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, and photographer whose work has appeared in People, Teen Vogue, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, and more. She is also the author of The Uprising series. For more information about Bernadette Giacomazzo, click here.