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US imposes visa curbs on Indian travel agencies aiding illegal immigration
Indian nationals account for over 220,000 illegal immigrants in the United States.
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Lalit K Jha - Mon, 19, May 2025
- 11:07 EDT
- 30
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Representative image / Canva
The United States announced visa restrictions on May 19 on Indian travel agency officials who facilitate illegal immigration to the US.
The US State Department, however, did not provide the names of the Indian travel agencies on whom visa restrictions have been imposed.
“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,” State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.
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"America’s diplomatic missions in India 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,” she added.
The American 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, she noted.
The United States is estimated to have more than 11 million illegal immigrants. As per a 2022 estimate of the Department of Homeland Security, the maximum number of 4.8 million illegal immigrants are from Mexico, followed by Guatemala (750,000), El Salvador (710,00) and Honduras (560.000).
India, with 220,000 illegal immigrants, is ranked ninth in the list. The Philippines, with 350,000 accounts, has the largest number of illegal immigrants originating from outside the American continent. From Asia, Philippines is followed by India and China (210,000).
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