US imposes visa restrictions on Indian travel agencies facilitating ‘illegal immigration’

WASHINGTON, DC: United States on Monday announced visa restrictions on owners, executives, and senior officials of travel agencies in India for “knowingly facilitating illegal immigration” to the US.

“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 US State Department said in a statement.

“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 statement added.

Further, the statement noted 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.”

The statement emphasised that US immigration policy focuses on informing foreign nationals about the dangers of illegal immigration and holding accountable those who violate US laws.

“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.

Notably, more than 20,000 undocumented immigrants were arrested during Donald Trump’s first month as President, CNN reported, quoting the Department of Homeland Security.

The Trump administration launched an immigration crackdown in the moments after his inauguration and publicised daily arrest totals during his first couple of weeks in office, as per CNN.

Last month, US Border Czar Tom Homan criticised former US President Joe Biden for deliberately unsecuring the US-Mexico border. Homan at a press briefing said that Biden inherited a secure border built under former President Donald Trump, but chose to undo it.

“But Joe Biden was the first President in the history of the nation who came into office and unsecured the border on purpose. That is a fact. We handed the Biden administration the most secure border in my lifetime after President Trump’s first administration. And he unsecured it on purpose.

Now, President Trump and this administration’s success is unprecedented. We beat Trump’s first administration on border success,” he said.

Homan cited studies showing that Trump’s policies reduced illegal immigration by 96%, potentially saving countless women from sexual abuse and sex trafficking. (ANI)