The United States denied the Salvadoran a visa because of his tattoos

The United States Supreme Court will decide this Friday whether to take up the case of A Salvadoran who was denied entry into the country by immigration authorities because of his tattoos.

Luis Acensio Cordero47 years old, was in 2008 the immigrant Undocumented when he met US citizen Sandra Munoz, a prominent civil rights attorney whom he married two years later.

In 2013, the Central American applied for his ‘green card’ for permanent residence based on his wife’s citizenship. Two years later, the Latinos returned savior The Los Angeles Times reported Thursday that the couple believed it would be their final appointment at the US consulate.

During the search they asked him to undress and they took photos of his tattoos: the Virgin of Guadalupe, a theater mask, dice and playing cards, which are for him, according to the newspaper, memories of his childhood.

A consular officer asked him about his criminal record and he described an arrest for a fight with a friend, after which he was released without charge within three days.

Six months later Salvadoran He received notice that his residency application had been denied, denying him a visa to return to the United States.

In 2017 he filed suit in a California district court and learned that he was denied residency because the government believed he was a member of the criminal gang MS-13 based on interviews, his criminal history and his tattoos. Since then, the Latino, who has not been able to enter the United States, has been separated from his wife, 54, and his daughter, 17.

In October 2022, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals concluded that the federal government had violated Muñoz’s fundamental rights as a citizen by denying her husband entry.

But the administration led by Democrat Joe Biden challenged the resolution and the case will now be reviewed by the Supreme Court. If the US Supreme Court refuses to take up the case, the appeals court’s decision will win and the immigrant’s lawyers believe they will allow him to return to the United States.

The outcome of the case could have important consequences for immigrants in similar situations Acencio Cordero Because it is extremely unusual to win challenges to a government’s refusal to grant a visa. EFE