Indian Jazz musician Pritesh Walia released from ICE custody after 14 days: ‘When you are sitting in a detention facility, the world feels very small’
Jazz musician Pritesh Walia, who was arrested by ICE for alleged visa overstay, released a video announcing that he was back home on bond while his immigration case was still going on. The Indian musician said the 14 days in the ICE detention felt like the most difficult time, as there were moments when he felt completely broken, as he did not know what was going to happen. “It’s something I would not wish on anyone,” Walia said, thanking the music fraternity for coming out in support of him.“14 days that changed me forever. Grateful beyond words for my family, my girlfriend, my lawyer, and every single person who stood by me. The love from the jazz and music community restored my faith in humanity YOU gave me hope. Taking a few days to heal, breathe, and be with my loved ones. Thank you,” Walia wrote in the Instagram post.“When you are sitting in a detention facility, the world feels very small. And it’s very easy to lose hope, and I lost hope all the time. But hearing that so many people had come together, that people were fighting for me, that there were hundreds of messages waiting for me, it gave me something to hold onto. It reminded me that kindness is still real and alive,” Walia said.
What happened to Pritesh Walia?
Walia’s friend Liza said that Pritesh was detained by ICE on August 2 as they were returning to Los Angeles and was then taken to the Adelanto ICE Processing Center. There was no official statement from ICE on his detention. Walia too did not comment on his visa status but an old fundraiser for his treatment mentioned that he got an artist visa to stay in the US.According to Pritesh Walia’s website, he was born in New Delhi, India. His musical journey began at the age of 13 through Indian classical music. He came to the US to pursue higher education in music and received an Associate’s degree from the Musician’s Institute in L.A., a Bachelor’s degree from Berklee College of Music, and a Master’s degree from the New England Conservatory. A few years ago, he was diagnosed with multiple chronic conditions that caused him to experience constant vertigo, dissociation, oscillopsia, blurry vision, and balance issues.
