US Announces Visa Curbs On Indian Travel Firms Behind "Illegal Migration"
New York/Washington:
The US said it is imposing visa restrictions on owners, executives, and senior officials of travel agencies 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," the State Department said in a statement on Monday.
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", it said.
The statement added that the US 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," the State Department said, adding that enforcing US immigration laws and policies is critical to upholding the rule of law and protecting Americans.
It said this visa restriction policy is global and even applies to individuals who otherwise qualify for the Visa Waiver Programme.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
3 hours ago
- NDTV
"In Pakistan, You Get Rewarded For Promoting Terrorism": Shashi Tharoor
Washington: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has sharply criticised Pakistan for its treatment of Dr Shakil Afridi, the physician who helped the US locate and eliminate Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden responding to a post by US Congressman Brad Sherman who urged a visiting Pakistan to press for Dr Afridi's release. Taking to socila media platform X, Sherman wrote,"I urged the Pakistani delegation to relay to their government the need to free Dr. Shakil Afridi, who continues to languish in prison for helping the United States kill Osama Bin Laden. Freeing Dr. Afridi represents an important step in bringing closure for victims of 9/11." Reacting to the statement, Tharoor, who is currently leading an All-Party Parliamentary Delegation from India to the USt, said: "A welcome reminder by Rep. @BradSherman that Pakistan is the country that not only sheltered terrorist mastermind Osama Bin Laden (in a safe house near an army camp in a cantonment city!) but also arrested and punished the brave doctor who identified his location for the Americans. In Pakistan you are rewarded for promoting terrorism and persecuted for exposing terrorists!" Dr Shakil Afridi is a Pakistani doctor who helped the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the hunt for al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. Afridi served as the senior health official of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. In 2008, he was abducted by Mangal Bagh, a bus driver turned commander of a Pakistani terrorist group, Lashkar-e-Islam. The Indian delegation in the US also paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue opposite the Indian Embassy in Washington, continuing a tradition observed in all the countries visited. "Once again, as in all the countries the delegation visited, we were able to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue opposite the Embassy in Washington DC," Tharoor posted. He further noted, "It is striking how many world capitals are adorned with statues or busts of the Mahatma, the 20th century's greatest apostle of peace, nonviolence, and human freedom." Earlier the delegation held a significant meeting with US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau. The Indian Embassy in Washington shared the update on social media platform X, stating: "The All Party Parliamentary delegation led by Dr. @ShashiTharoor had a warm and candid conversation with US Deputy Secretary of State @DeputySecState today. The Indian Delegation briefed him on the atrocities of the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor," the embassy posted. Earlier on Thursday, the Delegation had an "excellent meeting" with United States Vice President J.D. Vance in Washington, briefing him about Operation Sindoor, terrorism faced by India and regional security.
News18
3 hours ago
- News18
'Worse Than Covid': Expert's Dire Warning Over Toxic Fungus Feared Smuggled Into US From China
Agricultural experts, however, doubted the claims that the crop fungus is a threat as it is already widespread in the US and poses little food safety risk. In a report published by news agency Reuters, they said it will be ineffective as an agricultural terrorism weapon and can be managed by fungicides, resistant wheat strains, and testing. Two Chinese nationals have been accused of smuggling Fusarium graminearum into the US for research. According to an FBI criminal complaint, Zunyong Liu, 34, a researcher in China, brought the fungus into the US while visiting his girlfriend, Yunqing Jian, 33, in July 2024. The Department of Justice said the fungus is a dangerous biological pathogen with the potential to be used as an agricultural terrorism weapon. In a statement it said it causes 'head blight" in some crops and is responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses globally each year. 'XI JINPING TALKS ABOUT GOING TO WAR ALL THE TIME' Chang told Fox News that the couple 'should be sent to Guantanamo" – the infamous US military facility linked to abuse and torture after the 9/11 terror attacks. He said this amounts to China waging war against the US. He said this fungus is 'perhaps something worse" than Covid-19, and the US is going to eventually 'get hit really hard". There is widespread controversy over the origin of SARS-CoV-2, which caused the Covid-19 pandemic, as many experts say it was engineered in a Chinese laboratory. 'The only way to stop this is to sever relations with China. And I know people think that's drastic, but we are being overwhelmed. We are going to get hit eventually. We are going to get hit really hard, not just with Covid, not just with fentanyl, but perhaps with something worse," he was quoted. Chang further said Chinese President Xi Jinping talks about going to war with the US 'all the time" and is 'mobilising Chinese society to go to war". 'In May 2019, the state media People's Daily, the most authoritative publication in China, carried a landmark editorial that declared a people's war on us. We are Americans, so we think we are entitled to ignore the propaganda of hostile regimes. But for a communist party, that phrase has great resonance. What they are doing with their strident anti-Americanism is creating a justification to strike our country. This means the couple, for instance, should be sent to Guantanamo," he was quoted. He added: 'It was an attack on the United States at a time when China thought it was at war with us. Xi Jinping talks about going to war all the time, and he is mobilising all of Chinese society to go to war. So we can lose our country, even though we are the far stronger nation because we are not defending ourselves with the vigour and the determination that is necessary." Advertisement Explaining how Americans in all 50 states received 'unsolicited" seeds from China in 2020, he alleged that it was an attempt to plant invasive species into the US. 'AS A WEAPON…PRETTY INEFFECTIVE' Agriculture experts interviewed by Reuters said the fungus has been in the US for more than a century. They said it can be prevented by spraying pesticides, and is only dangerous if regularly ingested and, that too, in large quantities. 'As a weapon, it would be a pretty ineffective one," Jessica Rutkoski, a crop sciences professor, wheat breeder and geneticist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, told Reuters. Rutkoski and other researchers said extensive testing for the toxin of the fungus, widespread use of fungicides and the difficulty of intentionally creating an infection with the pathogen will make it a clumsy weapon. Experts said US farmers have been battling the fungus, which causes Fusarium head blight usually known as 'scab", since the 1900s. advetisement
Indian Express
4 hours ago
- Indian Express
Donald Trump-Elon Musk fallout: A timeline of their topsy-turvy relationship
Donald Trump's relationship with Elon Musk has hit an all-time low following the Tesla CEO's criticism of the US President's new 'Big, Beautiful Bill'. The altercation between the 'besties' began late last month when the tech billionaire, in an interview, said that he was 'disappointed' to see the bill. 'I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing. I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don't know if it can be both,' Musk said, while speaking to CBS News. A few days later, Musk announced his exit from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), sparking a rift that escalated when he called the Americans to tell their representatives in Washington to 'kill the bill' after describing it as a 'disgusting abomination'. In no time, once Trump's staunch ally turned his 'disloyal foe', whom he warned of 'serious consequences' if he proceeded with plans to fund Democratic candidates opposing Republicans who support the GOP's sweeping tax-cut bill. The dramatic shift is not the first instance between the 'frenemies' as in 2016, Musk publicly said that Trump was not fit to run for the US President. A look at Musk and Trump's topsy-turvy relationship and how it transformed before the ultimate fallout: 2016 Musk in an interview with CNBC, expressed his disapproval of the then Republican candidate stating, 'I feel a bit stronger that he is not the right guy. He doesn't seem to have the sort of character that reflects well on the United States,' throwing his weight behind Trump's presidential rival Hillary Clinton. 2017 However, it didn't take a month for Musk to change his mind as after Trump won the 2016 presidential elections, the tech mogul was appointed to an economic advisory council along with Uber CEO Travis Kalanick. Later, their relationship witnessed turbulent times when Trump decided to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accords. Musk publicly voiced his disapproval, stating, 'Am departing presidential councils. Climate change is real. Leaving Paris is not good for America or the world.' 2022 In 2022, Trump called Musk a 'great guy' and one of the world's 'great geniuses', likening him to Thomas Edison. 'You know, we have to protect Thomas Edison and we have to protect all of these people that came up with originally the light bulb and the wheel and all of these things. And he's one of our very smart people and we want to cherish those people,' said Trump in an interview with CNBC. 2023 Musk aligned his support with Trump's policies and openly backed US border wall with Mexico, which was the focus point at the time of the election campaign. 'We actually do need a wall, and we need to require people to have some shred of evidence to claim asylum to enter, as everyone is doing that…,' Musk said. March 2024 In March 2024, Musk declared that he would not make donations to candidates in the US presidential elections. However, it didn't take him long to flip his stance. July 2024 Months later, going back on his words, the tech billionaire donated over a quarter of a billion dollars to Trump's reelection bid after the then Republican candidate narrowly escaped an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. August 2024 Musk hosted Trump for a conversation on his social media platform X, where he suggested that the then Republican candidate should come up with a commission that primarily focuses on 'government efficiency' and affirmed his commitment to serve in it. Days later, Musk, in a post on X, said, 'I am willing to serve.' I am willing to serve — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 20, 2024 September 2024 Trump declared that if he emerges victorious in the US presidential elections, he would set up a government efficiency commission, which would be helmed by Musk. October 2024 Musk joined Trump onstage for his rally at the site where Trump escaped an assassination attempt, donning a black 'Make America Great Again' cap. November 2024 The tech billionaire spent the election night at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida to witness and celebrate a sweeping Republican victory in the presidential elections. On November 16, Trump, alongside Musk, witnessed SpaceX's Starship launch. January 2025 Musk attended Trump's inauguration in Washington DC, where the newly elected US president said that he would 'pursue our manifest destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts who plant the Stars and Stripes on the planet Mars'. The tech giant, in a social media post on X, shared his approval of Trump's second term, stating, 'The Return of the King.' The Return of the King — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 20, 2025 February 2025 Musk went to the Oval Office with his son to mark Trump's signing of an executive order seeking to shrink the size of government through 'large-scale reductions' in the federal workforce. March 2025 Trump, in a bold statement of support for Musk, bought a sleek red Tesla, stating that he bought the car at full price, without any discount. 'Musk would give me a discount, but if I do a discount, they're gonna say, Oh, I got benefits,' he said. 'When I saw what was happening, I said that I want to buy a Tesla, and we just went to the front. He (Elon Musk) had four beautiful cars there, and I bought one in front of the press. It was a very public purchase, and they're beautiful and do a great job,' he said. Trump then called Musk a 'patriot' and said, 'He's done a great job… It's not that he's a Republican… Sometimes, I'm not even sure what he is in terms of his philosophy, but he's a great guy.' The move came after Musk's Tesla faced boycotts and plummeting stocks amid controversy surrounding his moves as Trump's aide. Get in, patriots—we have a country to save.🇺🇸@ElonMusk helps President Trump pick his new @Tesla! — The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 11, 2025 April 2025 The Tesla CEO vowed to 'significantly' reduce his involvement in DOGE over the coming weeks. May 2025 Musk stepped down from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) after criticising Trump's newly introduced 'Big, Beautiful' spending bill. June 2025 The tech mogul sharply criticised the US president's spending bill, stating that it would further blow up federal budget deficits. 'Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it,' he wrote on his social media platform X. The criticism rapidly devolved into a heated exchange between the two, with both sides trading sharp barbs for several hours. The spat turned ugly to an extent with Trump saying, 'Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will anymore.' I'm sorry, but I just can't stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 3, 2025 In a blistering rebuttal, Musk said, 'Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate…Such ingratitude.' He also floated the idea of launching a new political party that 'actually represents the 80% in the middle.' Trump, for his part, hinted at retaliation by threatening to cancel Musk's government contracts. Responding to the allegations from Musk, Trump in a post on Truth Social wrote, 'I don't mind Elon turning against me, but he should have done so months ago.' Musk, on his part, however, deleted his controversial tweet claiming 'Trump is in the Epstein files' on Saturday, signalling a possible attempt to dial down the tension.
