Our new president is literally insane.

No other way to state it - that's a lie. SXSW did a service to international artists by informing them that they can be reported and deported if caught playing unofficial showcases… especially in Trump's Texas.

… as required by US immigration law, not due to some motivation by SXSW to 'burn' artists who play unofficial showcases.

I disagree. It's a statement of fact, as the SXSW team has clarified. Folks who may, earlier, have wrongly faulted SXSW for making threats need to admit they were wrong and go in peace.

Time to go back and read the updates… this is US Law, not SXSW's doing. Per the update, "…those acts coming to SXSW to perform without a work visa are limited, by U.S. immigration law, to performing their showcase event only".