Key Takeaways
- Armando Rubio denied claims that U.S. officials repeatedly rejected him, saying he attended one immigration interview and still awaits a request for additional information.
- The 90 Day Fiancé star cited his temporary humanitarian authorization as proof that his record poses no issue and told his critic to take their “assumptions, lies, and hate elsewhere.”
- Rubio addressed the accusation beneath a tribute to husband Kenny Niedermeier’s late father, explaining that immigration restrictions kept him from visiting Norm more often or supporting Kenny in Ohio after his death.
90 Day Fiancé star Armando Rubio is tired of people making assumptions about his immigration history. After an Instagram user asked whether he had been repeatedly denied entry into the United States, Rubio fired back, denying any wrongdoing and explaining what’s actually delaying his visa application.
Making matters worse? The accusation appeared beneath a heartfelt tribute to his late father-in-law.
"Come clean and tell us why you've been denied several times trying to come into the USA?" the commenter demanded beneath Rubio's post honoring Norman Niedermeier, the father of his husband, Kenny Niedermeier.
Rubio wasn't about to let the accusation go unanswered.
"Gosh, some of you sure know how to ruin someone's heartfelt post," he responded. "I am an honest & law-abiding person. I have not been denied 'several' times so you're wrong on that for starters."
The reality star then explained that he had attended just one immigration interview, during which officials told him his application couldn't be approved at that moment. According to Rubio, officials told him to wait for a request for additional information, which he still hasn't received.
"Still waiting for that email. It's a long waiting game," he wrote. "That is all! Nothing more, nothing less."
Rubio also pushed back against the suggestion that something in his background was preventing him from entering the country, pointing to the emergency humanitarian authorization he received earlier this year.
"If I had something on my record I wouldn't have even been eligible for a temporary humanitarian visa.. which recently was granted to me!" he wrote.
He finished with a message for his critic: "Take your assumptions, lies and hate elsewhere."
Norm coached football at Ottawa Hills High School in Ohio for 40 years, racking up 210 victories, eight league championships, and four undefeated seasons. His accomplishments earned him multiple Hall of Fame inductions and a stadium named in his honor.
Despite Norm's close relationship with Kenny, Rubio said he could only meet his father-in-law in Canada because of immigration restrictions and Norm's difficulty traveling.
"We had plans to visit him and spend time at his home together, never imagining that the immigration process would take years upon years," Rubio wrote.
The couple tried to arrange another meeting in Canada, but Rubio said the country’s visa process eventually created additional obstacles.
The restrictions also kept Rubio from joining Kenny in Ohio following Norm's death.
"These past few weeks have felt like an eternity without my husband by my side," he admitted. "One of the hardest things has been not being able to be there for him during one of the most painful moments of his life."
The family's immigration struggles previously made headlines in July when Rubio's 13-year-old daughter, Hannah, suffered a brain bleed and was airlifted from Mexico to Phoenix. Rubio initially couldn't cross the border to reach her, prompting his attorney to seek emergency intervention.
He eventually received temporary humanitarian permission to enter the United States and was reunited with Hannah and Kenny. The authorization was extended while Hannah recovered, and the family later returned to Mexico.
And while the Instagram exchange began with an accusation about his record, Rubio's original message was about something much bigger than paperwork.
"Behind every immigration case is a human story," he wrote. "Families, husbands, wives, and loved ones who miss moments they can NEVER get back."
