Bolsonaro likely came to the U.S. on an A-1 visa, which probably expired after he officially left office on January 1, a former State Department official who worked on some high-level visa-related issues told National Review. That’s also what a U.S. consular official and a former senior U.S. diplomat told Reuters, with the latter, by contrast, speculating that Bolsonaro’s possible A-1 remained active after Lula’s inauguration.

It is entirely plausible that Bolsonaro’s potential A-1 visa has expired. State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters during a briefing today that, generally speaking, “If an A visa holder is no longer engaged in official business on behalf of their government, it is incumbent on that visa holder to depart the U.S. or to request a change to another immigration status within 30 days.” Absent approval for another visa, Price said, such a person “is subject to removal by the Department of Homeland Security.” Price strenuously declined to speak specifically about Bolsonaro’s case. …

Democrats in Congress are demanding immediate action. Sharing a video of the riot in Brasilia yesterday on Twitter, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez slammed the “fascist” attack on the country’s government institutions, adding, “The US must cease granting refuge to Bolsonaro in Florida.” Representative Joaquin Castro, who serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued a statement along similar lines: “Domestic terrorists and fascists cannot be allowed to use Trump’s playbook to undermine democracy,” he wrote.

[Er … which president’s administration approved the visa and has failed to enforce its deadline? Hint: it’s not the Trump administration. — Ed]