The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned the Trump administration’s new visa bond pilot program requiring foreign visitors from select countries to pay up to $15,000 in cash deposits as a condition for entry into the United States as a “legalized shakedown.”
SEE: Federal Register :: Visas: Visa Bond Pilot Program
The State Department claims the 12-month program, targeting travelers from countries with high visa overstay rates or “deficient” screening, is a “national security” measure. In reality, CAIR believes it amounts to a discriminatory wealth test and a form of extortion that targets poorer nations, penalizes lawful travelers, and stigmatizes entire communities.
“This is not about national security, it’s about weaponizing immigration policy to extort vulnerable visitors, punish disfavored countries, and turn America’s welcome mat into a paywall,” said CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert S. McCaw. “Demanding thousands of dollars from tourists and business travelers before they even set foot in the U.S. is not a security strategy; it’s legalized shakedown.”
CAIR warned that the program revives a long-abandoned and unworkable idea that was shelved under previous administrations for being impractical, unjust, and diplomatically damaging. Consular officials are being handed broad discretion to impose life-altering financial penalties with no accountability, while travelers face a discriminatory and humiliating ordeal.
The rule is set to take effect August 20, following its publication in the Federal Register. CAIR will continue to monitor the implementation of this policy and its impact on targeted communities.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com