States of Denial: How a U.S. Visa Application Derailed a Musician’s Appearance at the Kronos Festival
June 19, 2019
Hawa Kassé Mady Diabaté—a renowned Malian singer and griot—was forced to cancel her trip to Kronos Festival taking place in San Francisco due to the Trump administration’s new immigration policy of "extreme vetting". Her visa was initially approved but just hours later she was required her to fill out the DS-5535 which can take several months to be verified. Fragomen Partner Charlotte Slocombe comments on this trend of increased enforcement of immigration rules by the U.S. government. Read in this article published by San Francisco Classical Voice.
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