Jazz guitarist, composer, and educator Pritesh Walia @priteshwalia has been detained by ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement). According to a statement shared through his Instagram account, Walia was taken into custody on August 2 after returning to Los Angeles and later transferred to the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in California.
His phone and personal belongings were reportedly confiscated, leaving him unable to communicate directly. His family and legal team are working to secure his release, though the reason for his detention and his current immigration status have not been publicly confirmed.
Born in New Delhi, Walia studied at Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory. His detention came just days after the release of his latest album, Journey to Nowhere, and shortly before a scheduled album release performance in Los Angeles.
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