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Mexican band Grupo Firme cancels US show, saying their visas were suspended by Trump administration

The popular Mexican regional music band Grupo Firme has announced that it's cancelling a performance in a music festival in California over the weekend after the Trump administration decided to suspend the musicians’ visas.

The group, which has soared to international fame playing Mexican regional music, said in a statement posted on its Instagram account that the visas of them and their team are currently under “administrative review by the U.S. Embassy” and that it would make it “impossible” for them to perform in the La Onda Fest to be held in the city of Napa Valley, California on June 1. The suspension is just the latest in a series of moves the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has taken targeting Mexican artists in the genre, who in some cases have glorified the leaders of cartels as sort of Robin Hood figures. While the genre of “narco-corridos” has stirred controversy, much of the music also speaks to the harsh realities facing Mexican youth caught in cartel violence.

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