Inside the Astros

Could President Trump's New Immigration Policies Affect Astros Players This Season?

In an ever-changing immigration environment, could new regulations affect MLB's Houston Astros players?

Laura Lambert

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The United States under leadership from President Trump announced new travel bans could be expected for more than 40 countries. These new rules and bans could have a significant impact on MLB players including some of the superstars of the Houston Astros.

While the official details of the travel bans have not been released, many speculate that Venezuela and Cuba will be on the list of countries that have "deficient" vetting for their nationals to enter the United States.

According to an article on Chron.com, the direct and immediate effect could cause players with P-1A visas difficulties. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services defines the P-1A visa as a non-immigrant status if you are coming temporarily to the United States solely for the purpose of performing at a specific athletic competition. Both "professional athletes" and "athletes or coaches, as part of a team or franchise that is located in the United States and a member of a foreign league or association" qualify for this specific P-1A visa.

While Jose Altuve, who is from Venezuela, appears to be looking forward to his new left field position, these new immigration policies may affect his travel abilities. Teammate Yordan Alvarez who is from Cuba faces the same struggle.

Traveling out of the country could become difficult and for the Astros that would mean the trip scheduled for September 9-11 in Canada to face the Toronoto Blue Jays may be impossible for Altuve and Alvarez. The guidelines could also affect offseason play in Dominican or Mexican leagues.

The Chron stated that Houston could not comment on the immigration status of either player, leaving the possibility of challenges certainly on the table.

Immigration attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch told Geoff Harris of The National News Desk, "They could get denied upon their entry and detained and deported. It can be a very dramatic and difficult situation. Just because someone is an athlete, if there is a red list travel ban, it's not going to get them into this country."

Certainly no one can predict the future, but with the MLB expecting to revisit the Mexico City series in 2026, many teams will need to be paying attention to the new immigration guidelines. This will especially hold true for minor-league baseball as well.

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Laura Lambert
LAURA LAMBERT

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