The Biden administration pushed America into open borders and immigration chaos. In 2023, President Autopen allowed 10,000 illegal crossings a day.

Now, in a rare move that merits praise rather than protest and outrage, the U.S. State Department under the Trump admininistration has introduced a new “visa bond program” grounded in accountability, enforcement, and taxpayer protection.

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It's also the kind of common-sense, America-first program we expect from President Trump and his MAGA team.

As the New York Times reported: 

Addressing what it calls “a clear national security threat,” the Trump administration will require that some foreign visitors pay bonds of up to $15,000 to help ensure they do not overstay their visas, under a State Department trial program announced on Monday.

Malawi and Zambia are the first affected countries, but others with high visa overstay rates are likely to be added to the list. US Department of Homeland Security 2023 data shows that 565,000 people admitted to the US through air or sea ports likely stayed beyond their authorized period. 

That’s half a million visitors a year. How many of them eventually return home compared to those who now call America and its largesse home?

This won't affect countries that already travel visa-free to the U.S. This means that for most of the nearly 80 million international tourists visiting each year, it will be business as usual.

Conservatives should support this.

It’s a small but meaningful step forward, promoting an immigration policy based on personal responsibility, rule of law, and national sovereignty. In other words, America First.

And it’s much better than the false promises of “comprehensive immigration reform” or amnesty often promoted by past Republican leaders, including presidents. 

Let’s be honest. Visa overstays are a serious problem, as mentioned earlier. These aren’t illegal border crossers; instead, they’re people who arrived legally but decided that the rules and laws didn’t apply to them.

So why not require a security deposit to encourage compliance? After all, hotels and car rental companies do this every day. If you damage the room, eat from the minibar, or fail to return the car on time, you forfeit your deposit. But if you follow the rules, you get your money back. It’s not punishment, it’s a contract. And it works.

Similarly, those who are arrested can post a bond for release, which will be forfeited if they don’t return for their court date.

Under new cashless bail systems promoted by the left, 10% of those granted cashless bail fail to appear in court. Imagine if 10% of tourists decided they preferred America to their home countries and stayed here.

This visa bond system operates on the same principle. It’s not racist, sexist, transphobic, Nazi, or fascist. It’s not discriminatory, except towards those who violate the rules. It's better than banning an entire country based on the high numbers of those who overstay. It’s simply common sense.

The pilot program is highly targeted. Currently, only applicants from Malawi and Zambia are affected because these countries have high overstay rates and weak document controls and vetting measures. Malawi has a 14.32% visa overstay rate, and Zambia has a 10.45% visa overstay rate, according to a Department of Homeland Security report cited by Bloomberg Law.

About 2,000 travelers are expected to be affected during the one-year pilot. That represents roughly two days' worth of illegal border crossings under the Biden administration and is significantly less than the fear-mongering spread by Democrats and open borders advocates.

Here’s how it works. If a U.S. consular officer finds that an applicant might overstay, the visa can be approved only if the traveler posts a bond through Pay.gov. If they leave on time, the bond is refunded. If they don’t, they lose it. It's like staying at a Marriott or Hilton hotel and checking out late or damaging the room.

To ensure proper tracking, bonded travelers must arrive and depart through designated airports like JFK, Dulles, or Boston Logan. It's strict, targeted, and completely fair, just like when you rent a car from Avis and lose your deposit if you keep the car an extra day.

From an America First perspective, this is a triple win.

First, it shifts the risk from the U.S. government to the visa applicant. No longer do American taxpayers cover the expense of costly removal proceedings when someone overstays their welcome. The cost of non-compliance is paid in advance by the visitor, not us.

Second, it sends a clear message to the world that entering the United States is a privilege, not a right. If you want to enjoy that privilege, you need to show good faith and put up the cash to prove it. Or, using Democrat parlance, some visitors will now have to “pay to play.”

Third, it offers a blueprint for broader immigration reform. If this pilot succeeds in lowering visa overstays, it should be expanded to other high-risk countries. Over time, it could become a standard part of our immigration strategy, showing enforcement without excluding people and encouraging visitors to be responsible.

The downside is that some tourists might opt to skip the $15,000 bond and stay in America permanently until they get caught and deported. They may see it as an acceptable “price of admission” to the U.S. 

Naturally, the left is already clutching its pearls. “It’s unfair to poor applicants!” they cry. Well, so is overstaying your visa, which burdens our legal system and public resources. Actions have consequences. This policy aims to restore order and balance, rather than punishing poverty.

And let’s not forget: the bond is fully refundable. This isn’t a fee or a tax. If you follow the law, you get your money back. If you don’t, you pay the price. That’s exactly how it should be. 

Critics also argue it will harm tourism. However, only a small number of travelers are affected, and most of them wouldn’t even be here legally without this policy. Visitors from Mexico, Canada, and more than 40 countries in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program are exempt from visa bonds.

The visa bond program only applies to B-1 (business) and B-2 (tourism) visas, not to student, spousal, temporary worker, or other types of visas.

If anything, this restores credibility to our system, reassuring Americans that we’re not just rubber-stamping visas for anyone and everyone, and letting them stay as long as they want. Imagine having house guests who never leave.

Bottom line? This is a market-based, enforcement-friendly, America-first solution that even a bloated bureaucracy managed to get right. It’s proof that smart immigration policy doesn’t always mean walls, travel bans, or blanket amnesty. It can also mean visa bonds.

President Trump pledged to restore law and order to our immigration system. This reflects Trump’s vision of discouraging lawbreakers and promoting integrity.

Hopefully, this is just the beginning.

Brian C. Joondeph, M.D., is a physician and writer. Follow me on Twitter @retinaldoctor, Substack Dr. Brian’s Substack, Truth Social @BrianJoondeph, LinkedIn @Brian Joondeph, and email brianjoondeph@gmail.com.