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Immigration

Jan. 22, 2024

Tattoos put consular power over immigrants into question

Each year the FBI conducts training to consular officials regarding the meaning of tattoos and which ones could indicate gang or terrorist associations, but certain consulates are notorious for making broad and sweeping assumptions about the meaning of tattoos.

Liliana Gallelli

Partner, Kerosky & Gallelli

The United States Supreme Court has agreed to review the case of a man who was denied an immigrant visa based on the US government's conclusion that his tattoos evidenced he was a member of the MS-13 gang.

In 2015, Luis Acensio-Cordero left the United States to attend his immigrant visa appointment at the US Consulate in El Salvador, his home country. Some eight years later, he is still in El Salvador because the US government determined ...

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