US warns Indians of deportation, lifetime travel ban for overstaying visas
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services had earlier warned immigrants not to take US visas or green cards for granted
Escalating its crackdown and restrictive measures on immigration, the United States on Saturday (May 17) warned both undocumented and legal immigrants of deportation and a permanent travel ban if they fail to follow visa regulations and abide by American laws.
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The announcement was made by the US Embassy in India. In a post on X, the US embassy said that if an immigrant overstays in the US in violation of visa norms, it might result in deportation or even a permanent ban on travel to the US in the future.
The development comes amid the Trump administration’s tough stand on immigration, falling approval ratings and budget cuts.
Not the first warning
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) earlier echoed similar sentiments, warning immigrants that they should not take US visas or green cards for granted and instead should consider them as privileges.
“Coming to America and receiving a visa or green card is a privilege. Our laws and values must be respected,” USCIS said in a post dated April 30. It further warned that if an immigrant advocates violence or endorses terrorist activity, they would no longer be eligible to stay in the US.
“If you advocate for violence, endorse or support terrorist activity, or encourage others to do so, you are no longer eligible to stay in the US,” stated the post.
No option to appeal?
The latest stand taken by the Trump administration comes against the backdrop of another major change in dealing with revoking visas for international students and other immigrants.
Also read: Trump administration to pay illegal immigrants USD 1,000 to go home
According to NBC News, there has been a recent government memo that allows immediate termination of visas without any prior notice or legal recourse. As per the memo, in case their visas are revoked, students and other non-citizens will no longer be able to appeal against the revocation.
The NBC report further reveals that the Trump administration has also expanded the grounds for revocation of student status, and they now include failure to maintain enrolment, involvement in certain legal offences and loss of work authorisation.