Out of Prison, Into ICE Custody: Squash's Next Fight Is an Immigration Case

(ReggaeVibeMedia.com) — Dancehall star Squash is out of federal prison, but the 6ix Boss is not heading back to the dancehall just yet. The entertainer, whose real name is Andrae Maurice Whittaker, was transferred to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody on Tuesday after his release from the Federal Correctional Institution in Oakdale, Louisiana. His release from prison marks the end of his criminal sentence; his immigration detention opens a separate chapter, and that chapter, not a release party, is where his story lives now.

Squash had been serving a 27-month federal sentence after pleading guilty to being an alien in possession of a firearm. His projected release date was brought forward several times following sentence credits reportedly applied under the First Step Act, and an immigration hold remained active during his incarceration, allowing authorities to transfer him directly to ICE when he left the Louisiana facility. As part of his federal guilty plea, he acknowledged that he would face removal proceedings after completing his prison term, and his immigration status will now be addressed through that separate process, including hearings before an immigration judge.

Here is what is verified, and what is not: he now faces immigration proceedings that could result in his deportation to Jamaica, but no confirmed deportation date has been provided. Any return to being "inna dem town," whether Montego Bay, Kingston or elsewhere in Jamaica, will have to wait for the outcome of those proceedings. Fans hoping for a quick homecoming should hold that thought, because the timeline now belongs to a court calendar, not a release date.

The story lands harder beside Rygin King's homecoming this same week. Rygin King is back in Jamaica, reunited with children he had not seen in five years after months in US immigration detention, a reminder that behind every immigration case file there is a family waiting on the other side. For Squash, that reunion is still a question mark, and dancehall will be watching every hearing the way it once watched every release date. The 6ix Boss served his sentence; now he waits on a judge.

So we ask you, the Reggae Vibe family: when Squash's case is decided, what should his first move be — straight back to the studio, a homecoming stage, or time with family first? Drop your thoughts below.