'Feels like defeat': Trump's crackdown forces pastor in deep red county to self-deport
A Texas pastor decided to self-deport to Brazil after facing significant delays with his visa application because of President Donald Trump's new immigration policies, according to a new report.
Albert Oliveira, along with his wife and three-year-old son, moved back to Brazil last week, Newsweek reported on Tuesday. Oliveira is the former pastor of First Baptist Church of Gordon, Texas, and has been in the United States since 2011, the report indicates. Gordon is located in Palo Pinto County, which voted over 83% for Trump in 2024.
"It feels like defeat, honestly," Oliveira told the outlet. "We've been fighting over this course for two years, and now we're going home."
Oliveira and his family had been living in the United States with R-1 visas, or temporary visas for religious workers. He had filed paperwork for permanent residency about five years ago, but delays and backlogs have prevented his application from progressing.
When he realized he would not be approved for residency before the visa expired, Oliveira and his family decided to leave voluntarily, according to the report.
"It's a lot of emotions," Oliveira said. "A lot of different feelings, honestly. I feel loved, but I also feel disappointed at the people in power."
Rep. Roger Williams (R-TX) told the outlet that "policy changes expanding EB-4 eligibility and subsequent legal corrections have further delayed processing."
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