US targets Indian travel agents accused of enabling illegal immigration

The United States has announced plans to impose visa restrictions on owners, executives and senior officials of travel agencies based in India that knowingly facilitate illegal immigration. Tammy Bruce, a US State Department spokesperson, said the measures were intended to target people involved in helping migrants enter the United States unlawfully. The department did not release a list of those who could face restrictions.

The US Embassy in India said the names could not be disclosed because of visa-record confidentiality. It said American officials were working through the embassy and consulates to identify people involved in illegal immigration, human smuggling and trafficking operations. The announcement came months after the United States deported about 330 Indian nationals who had been found to be staying in the country illegally.

The deportations took place in February and reflected the administration’s focus on stopping illegal immigration. Bruce said the restrictions would apply to owners, executives and senior officials of travel agencies that knowingly facilitate illegal entry. She added that the policy was global and could also affect people who would otherwise qualify for the US visa-waiver programme.

The State Department said the policy was intended not only to warn foreign nationals about the risks of illegal immigration but also to hold facilitators accountable for violating US law. The supplied material said the issue was believed to have been discussed during US Vice-President J.D. Vance’s visit to India, but provided no further details about those discussions.

The announcement does not identify specific agencies or establish that any named individual has violated the law. It describes a visa policy targeting alleged facilitators of illegal immigration.