By Victor Akan
In a significant development, the U.S. Department of State announced on Monday that it is moving forward with visa restrictions targeting owners and senior officials of Indian travel agencies allegedly involved in facilitating illegal immigration to the United States.
According to an official statement from the State Department, these measures are aimed at individuals “knowingly facilitating illegal immigration” into the country. The action is focused on travel agency executives and high-ranking personnel operating within India.
“The Department of State 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 read.
The announcement highlighted the ongoing efforts of U.S. diplomatic and consular missions across India. “Mission India’s Consular Affairs and Diplomatic Security Service work every day across our Embassy and Consulates to actively identify and target those engaged in facilitating illegal immigration and human smuggling and trafficking operations,” it said
The U.S. government emphasized that this move is part of a broader initiative to disrupt human smuggling networks. “The United States will continue to impose such visa restrictions to cut off alien smuggling networks,” the State Department noted.
Reaffirming its commitment to upholding immigration laws, the statement underscored that the policy is not only intended to deter illegal immigration but also to hold accountable those who enable it. “Our immigration policy aims not only to inform foreign nationals about the dangers of illegal immigration to the United States but also to hold accountable individuals who violate our laws, including facilitators of illegal immigration,” the Department added.
it also stressed that enforcing immigration laws is essential to maintaining the rule of law and ensuring the safety of U.S. citizens. Importantly, the visa restriction policy is global in nature and applies even to individuals who would otherwise be eligible for the U.S. Visa Waiver Program.
This announcement comes shortly after the U.S. Embassy in India issued a strict advisory to Indian nationals. In a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, the Embassy warned that individuals overstaying their visa authorisation could face serious consequences, including permanent bans from future travel to the United States.
“If you remain in the United States beyond your authorized period of stay, you could be deported and could face a permanent ban on traveling to the United States in the future,” the post cautioned.
The latest move aligns with broader U.S. efforts to curb illegal immigration, a policy area that has seen increased enforcement, particularly during former President Donald Trump’s administration. Earlier this year, hundreds of Indian nationals who had entered the U.S. unlawfully were deported back to India aboard a military aircraft.
FOR ADVERT AND NEWS PUBLICATION, EMAIL US @ tarakirivoicenewspaper@gmail.com or call or WhatsApp us on 08160439769
