Immigrant Visa Pause Leaves Illinois Families Separated Across Continents

The Trump administration’s January 21 visa halt has affected families from 75 countries designated as “high risk,” blocking spouse and fiancé visas as well as other immigrant categories. Music professor Mark Tonelli and his Brazilian wife Luciana — cleared for their final consular interview when the pause took effect — are among at least 300,000 Illinois residents that immigrant rights advocates estimate are affected by the freeze on legal family-reunification pathways.