• US embassy warns arrests can revoke student visas.
• Embassy cites deportation risk and future visa ineligibility.
• “A US visa is a privilege, not a right,” embassy says.

The US embassy in India warned on Thursday that arrests or violations of US laws can lead to student visa revocation, deportation and future ineligibility for US visas.

In a post on X, the embassy’s account @USAndIndia said: “Breaking US laws can have serious consequences for your student visa.” 

“If you are arrested or violate any laws, your visa may be revoked, you may be deported, and you could be ineligible for future US visas. Follow the rules and don’t jeopardise your travel. A US visa is a privilege, not a right,” it added.

The warning follows other recent messaging by the US embassy in New Delhi on visa compliance.

In December, the embassy said it would deny tourist visa applications if consular officers believe the trip is primarily aimed at giving birth in the United States to secure US citizenship for a child.

“This is not permitted,” the embassy said in a post on X.

Gulf News reported the move added to uncertainty for Indian visa holders, including professionals who account for over 70% of H-1B approvals and nearly 90% of H-4 visas with work authorisation. 

The US Embassy in India has also rescheduled visa interviews for some applicants, issuing fresh appointment dates extending to mid-2026.

Separately, the Trump administration in September proposed changes to rework the H-1B visa selection process to favour higher-skilled and better-paid workers, a Federal Register notice said. 

The proposal followed a White House proclamation introducing a $100,000 fee for the visas. 

If annual requests exceed the statutory limit of 85,000, the notice said, heavier weight would be given to applications by employers who pay high wages, with the stated aim of protecting Americans from unfair wage competition from foreign workers.

President Trump, a Republican, sought to reshape the H-1B process during his 2017–2021 presidency, but was stymied by federal courts and limited time at the end of his presidency.

Tighter US immigration policies are also feeding into wider concerns in India. 

Matchmakers, academics and prospective brides and grooms say families are less inclined to marry their children to Indian citizens based in the US, citing fears that potential partners could lose their job or immigration status. There is no official government data on marriages between Indian citizens living at home and overseas.

Indian government figures put the US Indian diaspora at around 2.1 million Non-Resident Indians (NRIs). Since returning to office in January, Trump has launched a broad immigration crackdown, including efforts to limit legal pathways to residency. 

Indians accounted for 71% of H-1B visas last year, while US Citizenship and Immigration Services data show that about 75% of H-1B visas issued to Indian citizens in 2024 were awarded to men.

For students, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement data show there were 422,335 Indian students in the US in 2024, with visa-policy uncertainty prompting many to rethink the “American Dream”.

• US to withdraw from 35 non-UN groups, 31 UN entities.
• Trump cites conflict with US interests for withdrawal.
• Move reflects Trump’s scepticism of multilateral institutions.

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the United States would withdraw from dozens of international and UN entities, including a key climate treaty and a UN Body that promotes gender equality and women’s empowerment, because they “operate contrary to US national interests.”

Among the 35 non-UN groups and 31 UN entities Trump listed in a memo, opens new tab to senior administration officials is the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change — described by many as the “bedrock” climate treaty which is parent agreement to the 2015 Paris climate deal.

The United States skipped the annual UN international climate summit last year for the first time in three decades.

“The United States would be the first country to walk away from the UNFCCC,” said Manish Bapna, president and CEO of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

“Every other nation is a member, in part because they recognize that even beyond the moral imperative of addressing climate change, having a seat at the table in those negotiations represents an ability to shape massive economic policy and opportunity,” said Bapna.

The US will also quit UN Women, which works for gender equality and the empowerment of women, and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the international body’s agency focused on family planning as well as maternal and child health in more than 150 countries. The US cut its funding for the UNFPA last year.

“For United Nations entities, withdrawal means ceasing participation in or funding to those entities to the extent permitted by law,” reads the memo. Trump has already largely slashed voluntary funding to most UN agencies.

A spokesperson for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump wary of multilateral organisations

Trump’s move reflects his long-standing wariness of multilateral institutions, particularly the United Nations. He has repeatedly questioned the effectiveness, cost and accountability of international bodies, arguing they often fail to serve US interests.

Since beginning his second term a year ago, Trump has sought to slash US funding for the United Nations, stopped US engagement with the UN Human Rights Council, extended a halt to funding for the Palestinian relief agency UNRWA and quit the UN cultural agency UNESCO. He has also announced plans to quit the World Health Organsation and the Paris climate agreement.

Other entities on the US list are the UN Conference on Trade and Development, the International Energy Forum, the UN Register of Conventional Arms and the UN Peacebuilding Commission.

The White House said the dozens of entities that Washington was seeking to depart as soon as possible promote “radical climate policies, global governance, and ideological programs that conflict with US sovereignty and economic strength.”

A US immigration agent shot and killed a 37-year-old woman in her car in Minneapolis on Wednesday during an immigration enforcement surge, according to local and federal officials, the latest violence in President Donald Trump’s nationwide crackdown on migrants.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey rejected the Trump administration’s claim that the agent fired in self-defence, saying video of the shooting contradicted the government’s version.

Frey blamed federal agents for unrest in the city but urged residents to remain calm, while Democratic leaders criticised the ICE operation as unnecessary and provocative.

Authorities identified the woman as Renee Nicole Good, saying she was caring for neighbours before being killed.

Large crowds gathered at the scene as tensions rose and federal officers used chemical irritants. Opponents of Trump called for nationwide protests.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Good “weaponised” her vehicle and tried to hit an officer.

However, videos raised doubts, showing agents approaching her car before shots were fired.

The vehicle then crashed after the shooting.

Good’s family described her as compassionate, while local officials said she was not a target of immigration raids.

Minnesota’s governor criticised the federal operation and placed the National Guard on alert.

Trump defended the agent, calling the shooting self-defence, while the incident deepened political polarisation.

Witnesses described emergency crews performing CPR as outrage grew.

The shooting occurred amid a massive federal crackdown tied to fraud investigations involving Somali immigrants, with thousands of officers deployed and hundreds of arrests reported.