Rock Band Nixes Tour After U.S. Border Protection Detains Drummer

Lord Buffalo, the self-described “psych-Americana” band from Austin, Texas, said they were forced to cancel their European tour after United States Border Patrol agents removed their drummer, Yamal Said, from their flight to Europe and detained him.

The band shared the news in a statement on social media, which you can see below.

Lord Buffalo’s Statement on Tour Cancelation

“We are heartbroken to announce we have to cancel our upcoming European tour,” Lord Buffalo wrote. “Our drummer, Yamal Said, who is a Mexican citizen and lawful permanent resident of the United States (green card holder) was forcibly removed from our flight to Europe by Customs and Border Patrol [Protection] at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on Monday, May 12. He has not been released, and we have been unable to contact him. We are currently working with an immigration lawyer to find out more information and to attempt to secure his release.”

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“We are devastated to cancel this tour, but we are focusing all of our energy and resources on Yamal’s safety and freedom,” they continued. “We are hopeful that this is a temporary setback and that it could be safe for us to reschedule this tour in the future. In our absence, our touring partners Orsak:Oslo will continue to perform the tour. We urge everyone to go see this amazing band and support them over the next couple weeks.”

Who Are Lord Buffalo?

Lord Buffalo consists of vocalist and singer-guitarist Daniel Pruitt, guitarist Garrett Hellman, violinist Patrick Patterson and drummer Yamal Said. They released their self-titled debut EP in 2012, and their self-titled debut full-length in 2017. They have since issued two more albums: 2020’s Tohu Wa Bohu and 2024’s Holus Bolus.

Lord Buffalo, “Holus Bolus” Music Video

News of Lord Buffalo’s tour cancellation arrives amid President Donald Trump’s sweeping overhaul of immigration and border security. In the first 100 days of his second term, Trump issued a slew of executive orders, lawsuits, raids, detentions and more in an effort to reach one million annual deportations.