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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 U.S. 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
The US Embassy in Honduras issued a warning on Tuesday about the threat of a mass shooting at three potential targets in the capital, including a school, a shopping mall and a government complex. The warning posted to the embassy's account on X said it had received information that the attacks could occur on Tuesday and on May 16. It warned US citizens to avoid the locations. The three target locations mentioned are the Elliot Dover Christian School in Tegucigalpa, the Centro Civico in Tegucigalpa, and an unnamed mall in Tegucigalpa, the warning said. The Embassy is required by US law to disseminate this message for all US citizens. There was no indication that US citizens would be specifically targeted, the embassy said. The US embassy said it did not have more information. Honduras' Police Director Juan Manuel Aguilar Godoy downplayed the warning and said it should not cause alarm. It is only an alert, he said on local radio, adding that the information had come from the FBI an
The US embassy in Israel has issued a security alert urging its employees and their family members to avoid using public transport across the country for two weeks. Following the February 20 explosions on public buses, and out of an abundance of caution, the US Embassy is temporarily prohibiting US government employees and their family members from using public buses and the light rail across Israel for 14 days," the US mission said in a statement. The US Embassy reminds the US citizens of the continued need for caution and increased personal security awareness since attacks often take place without any warning," it further said. The security environment is complex and can change quickly," the alert notification stressed. The US mission asked its citizens to take into account the alert when planning their activities in Israel. The Embassy will continue to review the security situation and will provide additional information as needed," it stated. On Thursday, three explosions occ
Haiti's international airport shut down on Monday after gangs opened fire at a commercial flight landing in Port-Au-Prince, prompting some airlines to temporarily suspend operations as the country swore in a new interim prime minister who promised to restore peace. The Spirit Airlines flight headed from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Port-Au-Prince was just hundreds of feet from landing in Haiti's capital when gangs shot at the plane striking a flight attendant, who suffered minor injuries, according to the airline, the U.S Embassy and flight tracking data. The flight was diverted and landed in the Dominican Republic. Photos and videos obtained by The Associated Press show bullet holes dotting the interior of a plane. The shooting appeared to be part of what the U.S Embassy called gang-led efforts to block travel to and from Port-au-Prince which may include armed violence, and disruptions to roads, ports, and airports. Spirit, JetBlue and American Airlines said Monday they were ...
After issuing a record 1,40,000 student visas last year, the US consular team in India is all geared up to meet the expected rise in number of applications from Indian students in 2024, with a senior official at the embassy here saying that the projected total number this year will be "similar or in excess" in comparison to last year. The US Mission in India on Thursday held its eighth annual Student Visa Day countrywide with consular officers from New Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai interviewing Indian student visa applicants. At the US Embassy in Delhi, a long queue of students was seen since morning. American universities attract a large number of Indian students, and last year, the US consular team in India issued over 1,40,000 student visas -- higher than for any other country setting a record for the third year in a row. Syed Mujtaba Andrabi, acting Consul General at US Embassy in New Delhi, in an interaction with PTI at the embassy, said, "by the end of the da
Hundreds of protesters clashed Wednesday with Lebanese security forces in a Beirut suburb near the US Embassy during demonstrations in support of both Gaza's civilian residents and the militant group Hamas in its war with Israel. The protest in the Aukar neighbourhood came as US President Joe Biden made a show of solidarity with Israel during his visit there Wednesday, a day after an explosion at a Gaza Strip hospital killed hundreds of people and prompted mass protests. Biden offered his assessment that the explosion was not the result of a strike by the Israeli military. The Palestinian group Hamas, which rules Gaza, and many Arab countries accuse Israel of striking the hospital, while the Israeli military claims it was a misfired rocket from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group in Gaza. Demonstrators holding Palestinian flags and the flags of various Palestinian factions took down a security wall and cut a barbed wire barrier on a winding road that leads to the U.S. Embassy outsid
An unknown gunman opened fire outside the US embassy in Beirut late Wednesday night. Embassy spokesperson Jake Nelson said in a statement that "small arms fire was reported in the vicinity of the entrance" of the sprawling and heavily fortified compound in the suburb of Awkar. "There were no injuries, and our facility is safe," he said. "We are in close contact with host country law enforcement authorities." Earlier this year marked the 40th anniversary of a deadly bombing attack on the US embassy in Beirut on April 18. US officials blame the attack, which killed 63 people, on the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Following that attack, the embassy was moved from central Beirut to the Christian suburb of Awkar, north of the capital. Another bomb attack struck the new location on September 20. 1984. In recent years, there have been no reported attacks on the embassy.
Shortly after presenting his credentials to President Droupadi Murmu, US Ambassador Eric Garcetti on Thursday said he would focus on raising the bilateral partnership to "new heights" with both sides working together on "defining issues" of the time. The US embassy in India was without an ambassador since January 2021 after then envoy Kenneth Juster's resignation following a change of guard at the White House. "It was an honour to present my credentials to the president and it is an honour to be back in India at such an exciting and historic time in the US-India relationship," Garcetti said. "I look forward to working with the Indian people to raise our partnership to new heights," he added. Separately, in a tweet, the ambassador said he is excited about working towards deepening the US-India ties. "Thank you to the Government of India for your close and fruitful partnership with the United States. I'm excited to deepen #USIndia ties as we work together on defining issues of our .