The Trump administration just took immigration enforcement to a whole new level. They’ve proposed a new Tourist and Business Visa Bond Program that could force tourists and short-term business visitors from certain countries to post bonds up to $15,000. This new initiative will begin on August 20. It focuses stricter enforcement on visa overstays and increases national security’s own focus on national security.
During the course of the Trump presidency, border security has been one focus Trump has repeatedly made a key priority. He collected available resources to militarize and defend the U.S.-Mexico border. The consequence, as an example, was his arrest of tens of thousands of undocumented migrants, including many who were legally pursuing legal status. These overstays are widely known as posing the greatest security risk. During fiscal year 2023, there were nearly 500,000 cases reported.
When the U.S. government announced their first possible travel bans in June, these bans focus on tourists from 36 countries with a history of high overstays. This new bond requirement is just one piece of a larger effort to stop people from coming to the U.S. without permission.
“Unlawfully present in the United States present significant threats to national security and public safety,” – The administration.
This new pilot program would apply to applicants for B-1 or B-2 (non-immigrant) visas. It narrowly focuses on people coming from countries with high rates of overstaying. It is another attempt to bolster the administration’s narrative that undocumented immigrants are the source of crime and insecurity in our communities. The 2021 study by Oxford Economics finds one surprising fact. Specifically, it found that undocumented migrants are 33 percent less likely to experience incarceration than U.S. citizens.
Unlike in 2020, when the White House launched a comparable six-month program focused on two dozen countries—mostly in Africa—that fell short of U.S. national security interests. That brighter future was truncated by the sharp decline in travel around the world brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. The current pilot program is structured as an immigration control measure, but it is unique in being designed as a diplomatic tool.
“The Pilot Program is further designed to serve as a diplomatic tool to encourage foreign governments to take all appropriate actions to ensure robust screening and vetting for all citizens in matters of identity verification and public safety,” – The release.
The administration has misframed this bond requirement as a move towards fixing the screening process for visa applicants. In response, critics will argue that it’s unwieldy. Such a perception would discourage legitimate travelers who are most interested in traveling to or doing business with the United States.
As Trump continues his push for stricter immigration policies, this new program underscores his administration’s commitment to raising deportation quotas and enforcing immigration laws more rigorously. The short-lived pilot program provides additional context into the ever-present discourse surrounding U.S. immigration reform and border security.