Visa Delays Cancel Global Dance Legends | Santa Fe News

A legendary Guinean dance troupe, Les Ballets Africains, had their entire North American tour canceled due to crippling visa delays—forcing venues like Santa Fe’s Lensic to lose revenue and disrupt programming. The situation sparked bipartisan outrage in Congress, with Reps. Teresa Leger Fernández and Maria Elvira Salazar sending a scathing letter to USCIS demanding accountability. Under the law, artist visas must be processed in 14 days—but reality shows waits of over a year, even with expedited fees. The lawmakers are pushing for staffing fixes, legal compliance, and a return to timely processing to preserve cultural exchange and protect the legacy of global performers. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/df7ca4d48eb530bf