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 action was announced in a statement by Tammy Bruce, the US State Department spokesperson. She shared no details of the number of identities of people and entities that had been slapped with these restrictions. Tammy Bruce said 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, 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.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs has said that 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.