US Imposes Visa Restrictions on Indian Travel Agencies Facilitating Illegal Immigration

Washington: The United States government announced on Monday visa restrictions targeting owners, executives, and senior officials of Indian travel agencies accused of knowingly facilitating illegal immigration to the US.

In a statement, the US Department of State said, “The Department is taking steps today to impose visa restrictions on owners, executives, and senior officials of travel agencies based and operating in India for knowingly facilitating illegal immigration to the United States.”

The statement further highlighted the efforts of Mission India’s Consular Affairs and Diplomatic Security Service, which actively work across the US Embassy and Consulates to identify and target those involved in illegal immigration, human smuggling, and trafficking operations.

The Department reaffirmed its commitment to continuing actions aimed at disrupting alien smuggling networks by imposing visa restrictions on the responsible individuals.

“Our immigration policy aims not only to inform foreign nationals about the dangers of illegal immigration but also to hold accountable those who violate our laws, including facilitators of illegal immigration,” the statement added.

Highlighting the broader context, the report referenced that over 20,000 undocumented immigrants were arrested during the first month of Donald Trump’s presidency, according to the Department of Homeland Security, as cited by CNN.

The Trump administration launched a stringent immigration crackdown immediately after inauguration, with daily arrest figures publicized during the initial weeks in office.

Last month, US Border Czar Tom Homan criticized former President Joe Biden for what he described as deliberately undermining border security. Homan stated at a press briefing that Biden inherited a secure border from Trump’s administration but chose to “unsecure it on purpose.”

Homan cited studies indicating that Trump’s policies reduced illegal immigration by 96%, which he said helped protect countless women from sexual abuse and sex trafficking.