Migrant denounces that they denied him a green card from the United States because of his tattoos

The case began years ago, but became public again in the last few hours, as the United States Supreme Court must make a decision. After in 2015 They will deny you the green card for seeing his tattoos and believing that he belonged to a criminal gang, Luis Acensio Cordero made a judicial presentation. The Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit of California agreed with him and set an important precedent, contradicting what the federal authorities had ordered. Joe Biden's administration appealed this decision and now the supreme court must decide whether to take the case.

Acensio Cordero is a native of El Salvador and had been living in the US illegally since 2005 when he met Sandra Muñoz in 2008., an attorney from Los Angeles, California. After beginning her love story, They married in 2010 and three years later he applied to obtain a green card for his marriage.as reported Los Angeles Times. Everything seemed to be progressing correctly, when In 2015, the Salvadoran traveled to his country again for an interview with the US consulate.which would be one of the last steps before you are granted permanent residency.

During the interview, they asked him about his criminal history and he responded that he was only detained for a fight in his youth, for which no charges were filed. Then, They made him take off his clothes to photograph his tattoos and asked him about each one of them. The migrant has tattooed the theatrical masks of comedy and tragedy along with some dice and cards, the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, a portrait of Sigmund Freud and a tribal design with a footprint. To the surprise of the Salvadoran, he could not return to the United States and six months later he officially received the refusal, since The authorities considered that he could be involved in criminal activity within North American territory.

He was denied a green card because of his tattoos, he filed a lawsuit and won

In 2017, Alan Diamante, an immigration lawyer and friend of Muñoz, advised them and they filed a lawsuit. During the court process, the couple discovered that Immigration authorities believed that Acensio Cordero had tattoos that identified him with the Salvadoran criminal gang MS-13. Among other evidence, the testimony of a lawyer expert in this type of activity was key, who assured that the designs that appear on the man's skin have nothing to do with the band.

While the procedure was carried out, the couple lived separately and Muñoz traveled frequently to visit her husband, who stayed working in El Salvador. In October 2022, judges from The California Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled that the federal administration violated the right to marriage and due process by rejecting and not providing clear explanations as to why. With this resolution, Acensio Cordero intended to apply for humanitarian parole to be able to live in the USA. while completing the green card process again.

However, The Biden administration appealed this decision and the Supreme Court must determine whether to take the case, a decision that will be known this Friday. The decision will not only have enormous importance for this couple, but also as a precedent for immigration disputes that may arise in the future.