The United States has announced visa restrictions against travel agencies, their owners and leading officials who knowingly facilitated the movement of migrants illegally into America.
This was announced in a statement by Tammy Bruce, the US State Department spokesperson, on Monday. She did not share details of the number of identities of people and entities that had been slapped with these restrictions.
It is not immediately known how many travel agencies have been targetted by the US agencies for facilitating illegal immigration.
“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,” she said.
Bruce added: “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. 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.”
According to India, ever since President Donald Trump took office in January, the US has deported 682 Indians who were in the country. These could include both people who entered the US illegally or those who entered legally but overstayed their visa duration.
Bruce further said: “Enforcing US immigration laws and policies is critical to upholding the rule of law and protecting Americans”. She added, “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.”
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