The mayor of Nogales, a key Mexican city bordering the U.S. state of Arizona, has announced that American authorities have revoked his visa, a development that adds to a growing list of Mexican officials recently barred from U.S. entry.
Juan Francisco Gim, a member of Mexico’s ruling Morena party, revealed in a video posted on X (formerly Twitter) that his visa had been cancelled by U.S. immigration authorities.
“The United States government has taken a measure regarding my immigration status, which I respect,” he stated, without offering specific details.
While the exact reason behind the visa revocation remains unclear, Gim emphasized that the decision was part of an “administrative process” and clarified that no allegations of misconduct had been made against him.
“I continue to work normally… I even participate in binational meetings on security issues,” he added.
Gim’s situation follows a similar case in May 2024, when Marina del Pilar Ávila, governor of the border state of Baja California and also a Morena party member, had her U.S. visa cancelled.
These visa revocations come amid heightened scrutiny from U.S. immigration authorities. Under American law, visa records and decisions are typically kept confidential, and officials have declined to comment on individual cases.
Notably, the announcement follows Mayor Gim’s public praise for the Trump administration’s tough immigration policies. In a recent Fox News interview, he described the U.S. crackdown as “cleaning house,” a remark that raised eyebrows in Mexican political circles.
The mayor is not alone. In recent months, a number of prominent Mexican musicians, including Grupo Firme, Julión Álvarez, and Lorenzo de Monteclaro, have faced similar visa issues, with performances in the U.S. either cancelled or postponed.
In a high-profile case, members of Los Alegres del Barranco had their visas revoked in April after displaying imagery linked to drug lord Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, during a concert. The cartel has been designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. government.
The string of cancellations and revocations signals a broader shift in U.S. visa policy enforcement, particularly concerning political figures and entertainers from Mexico with alleged connections, however indirect, to organized crime or controversial rhetoric.
