Karol G at Coachella was a global hit. Yet other foreign acts fear touring the U.S.

This is read by an automated voice.Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.

On the first Sunday night of Coachella, headliner Karol G told her American fans, and her global audience, to keep fighting.“This is for my Latinos that have been struggling in this country lately,” the Colombian superstar told the tens of thousands watching her in person, and many more on the fest’s livestream.She’d recently criticized ICE in a Playboy interview, but this set was about her fans’ resolve.

“We want everyone to feel welcome to our culture, so I want everyone to feel proud of where you come from.Don’t feel fear — feel pride!” she said.Any artist would be proud to play that caliber of headline slot.

But right now, many foreign acts also feel fear — or at least wariness — about booking substantial tours in the United States.A year of brutal ICE raids, tensions at border crossings and policed political speech, coupled with sky-high prices for expedited visas, fuel and other touring logistics, could push international acts away from the U.S.

“The fears that ICE would raid shows didn’t really materialize, but there is a chilling effect,” said Andy Gensler, editor of the touring-biz trade bible Pollstar.“Trump’s only been back in office a year, so we haven’t fully seen the effects, but it does send a message that if you’re a political artist you won’t get a visa.

With the economic shock of gas prices and tourism way down, the signifiers are out there.” Music Last week, Matthew Allen, a Minneapolis rapper and activist who performs as Nur-D, put his body on the line to fight ICE.The music economy is still thriving in SoCal.

Coachella sold out with record spending from fans, and fears that ICE might show up for a prominent Latin headliner proved unfounded.(The agency did not respond to a request for comment on Coachella, and Lt.

Deirdre Vickers of the Riverside County Sheriff’s office said that their office “does not participa...