The State Department unveiled visa restrictions on foreign government officials who are thought to be responsible for aiding illegal immigration into the U.S., part of a wider effort by President Trump’s administration to crackdown on immigration.
The new visa-restriction policy, which was released on Wednesday, will apply to foreign officials, including customs and immigration officials, and port authority and airports officials who are deemed culpable for bolstering illegal immigration into the U.S., according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The visa bans would be imposed on foreign officials for “failure to enforce immigration laws or establishing and implementing policies and practices that knowingly facilitate the transit of aliens intending to illegally immigrate into the United States via the U.S. southwest border.”
“Securing our nation’s borders is critically important to making America safer, stronger, and more prosperous,” Rubio said in a statement on Wednesday. “Countries along migratory routes must do their part to prevent and deter the transit of aliens seeking to illegally enter the United States.”
Rubio said this measure will be enforced “until those officials take responsibility for ensuring there are policies in place and existing laws are enforced to prevent the transit of such individuals.”
“America will not back down when it comes to defending our national security interests,” he added.
The visa bans are part of the administration’s focus on enforcing security at the southern border and barring illegal immigration into the country, something Trump heavily campaigned on during the 2024 presidential election.
The restrictions, according to Rubio, will “complement” the department’s 3C policy, which was expanded last year and applies to individuals in the private sector “who knowingly provide transportation and travel services designed primarily for illegal aliens traveling to the United States,” according to the State Department.
The new visa measures have already received praise in the House, with Rep. Carlos A. Gimenez (R-Fla.) thanking Rubio for “continuing to implement policies to hold bad actors accountable!”
