US Imposes Visa Restrictions On Indian Travel Agents, Agencies Facilitating Illegal Migration
In a fresh crackdown to curb illegal migration from India to the United States, the Donald Trump administration is now taking action against travel agents and agencies facilitating illegal migration. This comes months after the United States deported hundreds of Indians who reached America illegally.
"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. 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 US Department of State said that it will continue to take such actions in future as well. "We will continue to take steps to impose visa restrictions against owners, executives, and senior officials of travel agencies to cut off alien smuggling networks. 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," it said.
The US State Department said that enforcing US immigration laws and policies is critical to upholding the rule of law and protecting Americans. "This visa restriction policy is global and even applies to individuals who otherwise qualify for the Visa Waiver Program. These actions are taken pursuant to section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act," it said.
The United States embassy located in New Delhi has consistently used its social media platforms to advise Indian citizens traveling to the US against remaining in the country beyond their permitted duration of stay. These posts explicitly caution that overstaying will result in deportation and a lifetime prohibition from future entry into the United States.
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