A Michael Jackson impersonator was detained by Immigration after landing in Bermuda without a work permit but released after Tourism Minister Wayne Furbert intervened.The entertainer, called MJX, from New Jersey, was hired by the organisers of a large private birthday party at the Elbow Beach Hotel. However, he ended up in custody at the airport because he did not have permission to work.Mr Furbert spent several hours arranging to get him released, drove him to his accommodation, and later watched him perform hits including 'Smooth Criminal' and 'Billy Jean' at the party.According to Marie Genovese, co-ordinator for MJX: “All of a sudden, it was like an angel falling from the sky when he got a phone call from the Minister saying he was working to get him out. We feel very honoured and very lucky that the Minister got involved in the way he did.”MJX arrived on a Delta flight from Atlanta on Friday, ahead of Saturday's party, and Ms Genovese explained: “He was going to stay in Bermuda for a few extra nights as he has never been there before.”However, when the performer - who was not in costume - told Immigration officials he was here to work: “He was taken into custody as they said he didn't have the proper paperwork to do business. He was held in custody for 11 hours - it was awful. They then forced him to pay for a hotel where there were two security guards appointed to him. I think all of us can say we were in shock that this happened and didn't know how it could have been avoided.”According to Mr Furbert, MJX was sent to the Grotto Bay resort where he was guarded by officers from a private security firm. He was due to be sent home on a flight the next day, but Mr Furbert was alerted to the problem by “a concerned hotelier” around 7pm and stepped in.“In keeping with established procedure, the entertainer had been detained pending return to the US,” he told The Royal Gazette. “However, I invited my colleague, the Minister responsible for work permits, to exercise her discretion to allow this one-off event so that the entertainer might be landed and the birthday celebration proceed as planned.“Neither the hotel nor the organisers were aware of the requirement for prior authorisation and at no stage sought to mislead the authorities. In fact, a valid contract for the entertainment was presented as part of the documents on arrival at the airport.”Mr Furbert explained why he felt it was appropriate, in the circumstances, to intervene.“The 'birthday girl' specifically chose Bermuda and the hotel in question and her husband was determined to make her celebration special,” he said.“I am very grateful to Minister (of Economy Patrice) Minors who acted quickly once hearing of what took place.”Once Mrs Minors gave permission for MJX to stay, Mr Furbert went to Grotto Bay around 10pm and stayed there until 12.15am when the impersonator - who was accompanied by an assistant - was released.“To show our concern, I went to the place they were detained to ensure their release, then took them to their hotel. The next day I attended the birthday party to meet the people that flew in for the event,” he said.He reported that the hosts of the party appreciated the efforts he and Mrs Minors made.“They were very satisfied and very grateful that we were able to make the occasion great,” he said, declining to identify the hosts.According to Ms Genovese, the party organisers are also from New Jersey. They paid MJX around $2,000 for a one hour performance of five Jackson hits at the party.MJX remained in Bermuda last night but could not be reached for comment. According to Ms Genovese, he is due to return to the US this morning, but hopes to return to Bermuda to perform at a Michael Jackson event he has been discussing with the Minister.She said of Mr Furbert: “He made everything that started out badly so much better.”The Minister hopes to stop anything similar happening again.“I plan to meet with Ministers Minors and (Minister of National Security Wayne) Perinchief to discuss how to more efficiently handle situations like this,” he revealed.“As the Government has said before, the challenge for Bermuda is to be welcoming, professional and ensure the safety and security of our borders.”An Elbow Beach spokeswoman said the party host did not wish to comment.Useful website: www.mjxpressions.com