Singer Raul Malo, who is best known as the frontman for The Mavericks, has raised concerns about his US citizenship under new laws.
The Grammy-winning country singer was back on tour with his band, a year after being diagnosed with cancer and undergoing treatment.
Last July, they were forced to cancel gigs after Raul, 59, started chemotherapy, of which he had 16 rounds as per his latest update.
While he’s not ‘out of the woods’ yet, he is well enough for The Mavericks to return to touring — only to be faced with a new concern.
Raul, who was born in the US, called out the ‘cruelty and suffering being inflicted on the unsuspecting’ after President Donald Trump’s deportation bill was passed.
‘Dear America, today is the day we celebrate you and what you used to stand for,’ he said in a post on Instagram. ‘The words “liberty and justice for all” have faded into a distant past.
‘To some of us those words were deeply personal. My family came here because of those words. I was born here because of those words. I have had an extraordinary life because of those words.’
‘Now those words have lost their meaning,’ stated Raul. ‘They are now abstract concepts used to inflict cruelty and suffering on the unsuspecting, the weak, the sick, the poor, the needy.’
He revealed that under the new law, he and his sister could be labelled ‘illegal birthright citizens’ if their mother is ‘stripped of her naturalised citizenship’.
Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ comes with a slew of tax cuts, benefitting the wealthiest while also boost funding for defence, border security and producing energy.
The bill puts aside $45billion to detain undocumented people taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
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It also means that immigrants — including refugees, asylees and victims of sex trafficking and domestic violence — may no longer qualify for federal benefits like Medicaid and food stamps.
Addressing trolls who told him to ‘shut up and sing’, the “Dance the Night Away hitmaker said: ‘Well, clearly that’s not happening. You see the thing is this is my country too. Always has been.’
He concluded: ‘This isn’t about politics anymore. It’s about humanity. It’s about all of us. We, the people.’
The week before, Raul had shared an update on his medical situation, posted a picture of himself in a hospital bed.
‘First of all thank you to everyone for their kind wishes and support throughout all of this,’ the There Goes My Heart singer wrote on Instagram.
‘I thought I had everything under control. (Btw, that’s just you lying to yourself) Then the cancer sideshows started to play out.
‘My sinus infection literally brought me to my knees. I had never felt headaches like that. I went to a specialist. Got it taken care of but the residual results are a numbing of the left side of my face. Neurologist said it will repair over time. The damage is not permanent and not visible. A little drooling here and there…oh well. Perspective: I’m alive.’
He also has an abdominal hernia, which is ‘the most challenging’, as it is ‘very visible’ and ‘really painful’ at times.
’16 rounds of chemo have done what they’re made to do…kill cancer,’ Raul continued. ‘I’m not out of the woods yet but I’m on my way.’
He thanked his band for sticking by him, having reformed in 2012 after a short hiatus from 2003.
The Mavericks were founded by Raul in 1992 with drummer Paul Deakin, and includes Eddie Perez on guitar and Jerry Dale McFadden on keyboards.
They had breakout hits in the 90s, with single Here Comes the Rain securing a Grammy win alongside numerous nominations over the years.
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