Indian jazz guitarist and composer Pritesh Walia has been freed following his unexpected detention by ICE, which occurred on August 2 at Los Angeles International Airport.
After his release, he shared a video detailing his experience, stating that he felt “scared, hopeless, and completely broken” during his 14-day confinement at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in Southern California.
And it’s very easy to lose hope, and I lost hope all the time. Upon receiving bond, Walia returned home and expressed gratitude to all those who supported him throughout this challenging time. He opened up about his experience on Instagram. 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. “When you are sitting in a detention facility, the world feels very small. 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. He later moved to the United States to pursue higher education in music, obtaining an associate’s degree from the Musician’s Institute in Los Angeles, a bachelor’s degree from Berklee College of Music, and a master’s degree from New England Conservatory.
“14 days that changed me forever. Walia, who was born and raised in New Delhi, India, commenced his musical education at the age of 13, focusing on Indian classical music. On July 31, Walia unveiled a new album titled Journey To Nowhere, featuring the Henry Godfrey Jazz Orchestra alongside special guests Aaron Parks, Jerry Bergonzi, Godwin Louis, and others. In a recent feature in DownBeat, writer Bill Milkowski documented a breakout period in 2024, during which Walia released both the organ-trio album PSA, collaborating with keyboardist Sharik Hasan and drummer Avery Logan, and Hopetown, which received acclaim for its lyrical guitar work and harmonically rich compositions.
It reminded me that kindness is still real and alive,” he said.
