Work Visa Abruptly Canceled
Sanctions from Trump’s First Term Revisited
Popular Mexican singer Julion Alvarez abruptly canceled a large-scale concert due to the cancellation of his U.S. visa. The Texas show, which had sold out tens of thousands of seats, was completely called off due to visa issues.
On May 24 (local time), U.S. media outlets including CNN reported that Alvarez and his band, Su Norteno, canceled their planned concert for 50,000 seats in Texas and began refund procedures for all ticket holders.
According to the Mexican daily El Universal, his agency stated, "Due to unforeseen circumstances, the artist and the band are unable to perform," and added, "Future concert dates will be rescheduled."
Alvarez also expressed his disappointment on his social media, saying, "The work visa for the concert was suddenly canceled. I have not received any explanation for the reason, and this is beyond my control."
In response, U.S. authorities maintained their position that they "will not comment on individual visa cases."
Alvarez was previously placed on the U.S. Treasury Department's sanctions list during the Trump administration in 2017 due to suspicions of involvement with drug organizations. At the time, he was named alongside Mexican soccer star Rafael Marquez, but his explanation that it was "simply a real estate transaction" was accepted, and he was removed from the list in 2022.
However, there is growing speculation that Alvarez may have been affected by the recent wave of U.S. government visa cancellations for individuals potentially linked to Mexican drug cartels.
In fact, earlier this month, the U.S. visas of the governor of Baja California and his spouse were abruptly canceled. Baja California, which borders the United States, is known as the region with the highest influx of illegal immigrants, and security concerns have been raised since the Trump administration.
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