US Announces Visa Restrictions for Tourism Bosses Who Facilitate Illegal Immigration

Restrictions previously were limited to owners and operators of charter companies that organize flights, ground transportation, and maritime vessels.

After crossing from Mexico, illegal immigrants walk on the U.S. side of the border wall in Jacumba Hot Springs, Calif., on June 5, 2024. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. State Department announced the expansion of its visa restriction regime to include executives of tourism-related companies involved in facilitating illegal immigration into the United States.

Specifically, the restrictions will apply to “executives of travel agencies and tour operators who provide travel services designed primarily for irregular migrants to the United States,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a press release on July 9.