Indian jazz guitarist and composer Pritesh Walia was released on bond by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement after 14 days in detention.
US authorities detained Pritesh Walia at Los Angeles Airport on August 2 before transferring him to the Adelanto ICE Processing Center.
ICE officials alleged that Pritesh Walia failed to meet non-immigrant status requirements and overstayed his temporary O-1B visa.
Guitarist Pritesh Walia Released After 14 Days In ICE Custody: 'Was Scared, Hopeless And Completely Broken'
The Delhi-born musician, who has lived in the US since 2019, recently released his collaborative jazz album titled Journey to Nowhere.
Summary
Pritesh Walia, Indian jazz guitarist and composer, is free on bond. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) released Walia after holding him in custody for two weeks.
Officers arrested Walia at Los Angeles Airport on August 2. They then moved him to the Adelanto ICE Processing Centre in California, where he remained until his recent release on bond. The musician described his emotional ordeal immediately after leaving the facility. His immigration case is ongoing.
Pritesh Walia shares experience about 14-day custody
"The last 14 days have been the hardest days of my life. I was scared, hopeless, and completely broken being separated from the people I love...not knowing what was going to happen," Walia said in a video shared on Instagram and thanked his family, friends and fellow jazz musicians. He did not explain the reasons behind his arrest in the clip.
"When you are sitting in a detention facility, the world feels very small and it is very easy to lose hope. I lost hope all the time," he added.
Why was Pritesh Walia detained?
Walia allegedly violated his visa terms. An ICE spokesperson at the Los Angeles field office informed American Community Media (ACM), a US-based nonprofit news and communications group focusing on ethnic and community media. The official stated that Walia was arrested for allegedly overstaying his temporary visa and failing to maintain his non-immigrant status, as per a report in Indian Express.
Walia has resided in America since 2019. He holds an O-1B visa, which the government grants to individuals possessing extraordinary artistic talent. This authorisation lasts for three years and allows successive one-year extensions.
The ICE official reported to ACM that Walia was supposed to have departed the United States by August 2025.
Who is Pritesh Walia?
Born in Delhi, Walia trained in Hindustani classical music before studying at the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles, Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory.
He is a prominent figure in the US jazz scene. He established a strong presence in Boston, where he regularly hosted jam sessions at The Bebop, a popular live music space.
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His newest album launched on July 31. Walia collaborated with the Henry Godfrey Jazz Orchestra to create Journey to Nowhere, which also featured performances by saxophonist Godwin Louis alongside pianists Aaron Parks and Jerry Bergonzi.
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