An Indian woman visiting the U.S. was caught shoplifting over $1,300 worth of merchandise from a Target store in Illinois. Security footage captured her pleading with police, insisting she “accidentally” left without paying. The incident has prompted the U.S. Embassy in India to issue a warning: Indian nationals who commit crimes in the U.S. risk having their American visas revoked.
"Committing assault, theft, or burglary in the United States won’t just cause you legal issues – it could lead to your visa being revoked and make you ineligible for future U.S. visas," U.S. Embassy India said in a new statement."The United States values law and order and expects foreign visitors to follow all U.S. laws."
NEW: The U.S. Embassy in India is warning Indian nationals that they will have their American visas revoked if they commit crimes in the U.S.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 19, 2025
The statement comes after bodycam footage was released of a woman who allegedly shoplifted $1,300 from Target in Illinois, as reported by… pic.twitter.com/Fnna55xCWs
"Why can’t I just pay for it?” the Indian woman asks, to which an officer replies, "We’re way, way, way past that. You committed a felony."
"But if I’m paying for it, what is the harm?” the woman asks.
The officer told her, "It would have been fine if you didn't leave, right? You would have had that opportunity to pay. But because you left the store at that point, you chose to not pay for it, and we can't go back."
U.S.-based immigration attorney, Alen Takhsh, called the incident a "Crime Involving Moral Turpitude," which involves dishonesty and could have serious consequences.
"If you are in the US on a student visa, an arrest for shoplifting, let alone a conviction, could result in your visa being revoked," Takhsh said. "If you are in the US on a visitor or work visa, it could lead to you not being allowed to re-enter the U.S. in the future."
While some rushed to defend the woman, calling it a “cultural misunderstanding,” others noted the contradiction—when asked if stealing was acceptable in India, she clearly responded, “no.”
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