US Embassy warns illegal immigrants, visa fraudsters of strict penalties

Those persons who are staying illegally in the US or have committed visa fraud will be held responsible, the country's embassy in India said on Saturday.

The US Embassy in a brief statement on X also said if anyone breaks the US law, they will be punished with "significant criminal penalties".

"Those who are in the United States illegally or commit visa fraud will be held responsible. If you break US law, you will be punished with significant criminal penalties," the embassy said in its post.

The embassy's statement comes against the backdrop of an immigration crackdown by the Trump administration in California's Los Angeles recently.

The US Embassy in India has issued a series of statements on the subject of visa and immigration during the course of this month.

The embassy had earlier on June 19 said that a US visa is "a privilege, not a right" and its screening does not stop after a visa has been issued and authorities may revoke it if one breaks the law.

The embassy had also said that using illegal drugs or breaking any US laws while on a student or visitor visa can make one ineligible for future visa.

Earlier this month, the US Embassy in India also issued statements, underlining that while people travelling legally to America were welcome, illegal entry or abuse of visas won't be tolerated by the country.

The United States "will not tolerate" those who facilitate illegal and mass immigration to the country, its embassy here had said on June 16.

The embassy had also said the United States has "established new visa restrictions" targeting foreign government officials and others who do so.