UNL victory for professor is gratifying
Mystery still cloaks the reason for the long delay by the Department of Homeland Security in granting a work visa for Waskar Ari to teach at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
But it doesn’t seem like coincidence that his work visa petition unexpectedly was approved only two months after UNL filed suit in the case.
That’s when respected immigration attorney Michael Maggio of Washington, D.C., agreed to take Ari’s case for free.
Ari had been blocked from coming to the UNL campus to teach history and ethnic studies for almost two years. Originally hired in 2005, he returned to Bolivia for a quick trip. His visa was cancelled without explanation.
Maggio speculated that Ari had been linked mistakenly to Evo Morales, a critic of the Bush administration. In fact, Ari had criticized Morales for allying himself with Fidel Castro and Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez.
Approval of Ari’s work visa doesn’t clear him to come to Nebraska. He still must receive a work visa from the U.S. Consulate in La Paz, Bolivia.
But UNL officials are optimistic he might be able to begin teaching next fall. An indigenous Aymara, Ari would be able to provide a vivid and personal teaching experience about Latin America. His presence on campus would be an asset to the learning environment at UNL.
UNL officials should be credited for going an extra mile to bring Ari to campus.
But it doesn’t seem like coincidence that his work visa petition unexpectedly was approved only two months after UNL filed suit in the case.
That’s when respected immigration attorney Michael Maggio of Washington, D.C., agreed to take Ari’s case for free.
Ari had been blocked from coming to the UNL campus to teach history and ethnic studies for almost two years. Originally hired in 2005, he returned to Bolivia for a quick trip. His visa was cancelled without explanation.
Maggio speculated that Ari had been linked mistakenly to Evo Morales, a critic of the Bush administration. In fact, Ari had criticized Morales for allying himself with Fidel Castro and Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez.
Approval of Ari’s work visa doesn’t clear him to come to Nebraska. He still must receive a work visa from the U.S. Consulate in La Paz, Bolivia.
But UNL officials are optimistic he might be able to begin teaching next fall. An indigenous Aymara, Ari would be able to provide a vivid and personal teaching experience about Latin America. His presence on campus would be an asset to the learning environment at UNL.
UNL officials should be credited for going an extra mile to bring Ari to campus.
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