The State Department enforced visa restrictions on travel agents, accused of smuggling migrants into the United States. It said rogue agencies based in Europe, Africa and the Middle East are preying on vulnerable people by operating services designed to facilitate unauthorized migration.
A State Department spokesman told the Telegraph, “No one should profit from vulnerable migrants — not smugglers, private companies, public officials, nor governments.”
The Biden administration has tried to crack down on charter companies that are allowing migrants to use private planes to make it into the U.S.
Biden’s senior adviser for migration, Blas Nuñez-Neto, said migrants pay as much as $70,000 for their journey, with a big portion of that money going to charter companies.
Nuñez-Neto also said Nicaragua serves as a main launching pad for migrants, with many flying there from their home country, then making their way to the U.S.
Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega hasn’t responded to the allegations of facilitating the migrant smuggling. However, in a recent speech Ortega accused the U.S. of engaging in a war against migrants.
The Biden administration convinced Haiti in late 2023 to impose a total ban on charter flights to Nicaragua. The administration has also revoked visas of multiple charter executives.
The migrant crisis has been at the forefront of the 2024 presidential election. Republicans blame Kamala Harris for what they say is the Biden administration’s inability to get a grip on the situation.
The Department of Homeland Security reported more than 600,000 people illegally entered the U.S. and evaded capture in 2023.
