Trump Administration Official Announces New Actions Against Foreigners Who Overstay Their Visas

• DHS General Counsel James Percival declared that anyone who enters the US on a visa with prior intent to overstay did not arrive legally
• Percival's post on X came as the Trump administration signalled a harder stance on immigration enforcement across the country
• Secretary Markwayne Mullins separately warned illegal aliens they have no safe haven in the US, vowing to hunt them down and deport them

James Percival, the General Counsel of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has publicly stated that individuals who enter the United States on a visa while intending from the outset to overstay their permitted period cannot be considered legal entrants.

Percival posted the warning on his official X account, @DHSGenCounsel, on 5 August 2026.

"If you come here on a visa, but you intended all along to overstay that visa, you did not 'come here legally,'" he wrote. "You are a fraudster, and you will be treated accordingly!"

Read also

FBI releases contact details for people to report crimes targeting elderly Americans, others groups

DHS targets visa overstayers

The statement draws a distinction between individuals who enter lawfully and later fall out of status versus those who, in the view of DHS, exploit the visa system as a deliberate entry mechanism with no intention of complying with its conditions.

By framing such individuals as fraudsters rather than merely undocumented migrants, the department signals a shift in how the administration intends to characterise and prosecute such cases.

The remarks came alongside a broader message from Secretary Markwayne Mullins, who issued a direct warning to those residing in the country without authorisation.

"Our message to illegal aliens is clear: you have NO safe haven in our nation. We will hunt you down and deport you," Mullins said, adding that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is "unleashed" under the Trump administration to enforce immigration law daily.

Trump administration intensifies immigration enforcement

The statements from both Percival and Mullins reflect the Trump administration's escalating approach to immigration enforcement, which has focused not only on those who crossed borders without documentation but also on those who arrived through official channels and subsequently remained beyond their authorised stay.

Read also

US announces transfers of nearly 30 criminals from 15 countries to face justice

Visa overstayers represent a significant portion of the undocumented population in the United States, making the DHS position on their legal classification a potentially consequential policy signal for enforcement agencies and immigration courts alike.

US expands visa overstay crackdown to 15 airports

In a related development, YEN.com.gh reported that the US has started detaining foreign nationals with expired visas directly at airports.

Officers from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have carried out arrests at check-in counters, boarding gates, and arrival terminals across at least 15 airports.

Source: YEN.com.gh