Mexican singer Julion Alvarez cancels Texas show due to visa dispute

Mexican singer Julion Alvarez cancels Texas show due to visa dispute

Popular Mexican singer Julión Álvarez and his band have had to cancel a concert in Texas on Saturday evening after his visa to enter the United States was reportedly revoked.

Concert cancellation in Arlington

The band Julión Álvarez y Su Norteño Banda was scheduled to perform at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, about 30 miles west of Dallas, to a sold-out crowd with nearly 50,000 tickets sold. The artist's team announced this in a statement on Friday.

Message on Instagram

Julión Álvarez also announced the cancellation on his Instagram account. In a video, he explained that he and his team were informed on Friday that his work visa had been revoked by the US authorities. "It is not possible for us to go to the United States and keep our promise to you. It is a situation that is out of our control. This is the information that I have and that I can share," he said in the video.

Preparations for the concert

Álvarez mentioned that the stage was already set up and his production team was already in Texas preparing for the concert. “I apologize to all of you and God willing we will stay in touch to provide further information,” he added.

Difficulty getting refunds

The concert promoter and Copar Music announced that they are working with Álvarez's team on a new date. All tickets already purchased will remain valid for the new date and refund details will be provided for those unable to attend.

US State Department response

A US State Department spokesperson declined to comment on Álvarez's case, telling CNN that visa data is confidential and they cannot legally comment on individual cases.

Political backgrounds

Álvarez and his band are the latest Mexican artists to reportedly have their U.S. visas revoked as part of Trump's sweeping immigration crackdown. Last month the tourist visas of the members of the Mexican band Los Alegres del Barranco recanted after they projected the face of a drug cartel boss during an appearance in the western state of Jalisco.

The singer's past

The Trump administration has also sharply targeted foreign nationals who are directly or indirectly linked to drug cartels. This includes revoking visas for artists whose works depict drug cartels, which the government considers to be foreign terrorist organizations be classified.

Return to the USA

In 2017, Álvarez had his U.S. work visa revoked after U.S. authorities alleged that he and about 20 other people, including soccer player Rafael Márquez, had ties to a drug trafficker linked to major cartels. According to a statement from the US Treasury Department, they were placed under sanctions.

Success and popularity in Mexico

Álvarez denied these allegations and explained that he was only connected to the drug trafficker through a property purchase. In 2022, Álvarez was removed from the sanctions list and was able to get his visa back, allowing him to return to the United States. In April of this year, he celebrated three sold-out shows at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

With almost 17 million monthly listeners on Spotify Álvarez is known in Mexico for his traditional musical style that combines elements of banda, norteña and mariachi. His best-known hits include soulful songs like “Póngamonos de Acuerdo” and “Te Hubieras Ido Antes.”