A total of 112 Indian nationals, who had been deported from the United States for residing in the country illegally, landed in Amritsar on Sunday night. This marks the third such deportation in just ten days, occurring as part of the Trump administration’s intensified crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
According to sources, the deportees arrived aboard a C-17 Globemaster aircraft operated by the U.S. Air Force. The plane touched down at Amritsar International Airport at approximately 10:03 p.m.
Among those deported, 31 individuals hail from Punjab, 44 from Haryana, 33 from Gujarat, two from Uttar Pradesh, and one each from Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Some of their families had gathered at the airport to receive them upon arrival.
Following standard procedures, the deportees will be permitted to return to their respective homes after the completion of all necessary formalities, including immigration procedures, verification, and background checks. Authorities have made arrangements for their transportation to their respective destinations, sources confirmed.
This latest deportation follows two similar instances earlier in the month. The first took place on February 5, when a U.S. military aircraft transported 104 Indians to Amritsar. A second deportation flight carrying 116 Indian nationals arrived on Saturday.
During the first deportation, individuals were reportedly shackled and restrained throughout the journey and were only released upon reaching India. This led to a significant political uproar in India, sparking debates in both Houses of Parliament during the Budget session. Similar allegations of mistreatment have now been raised by those who returned on Saturday.
Responding to the growing criticism, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated that the Indian government is in discussions with the United States to ensure that deported individuals are treated with dignity. He also pointed out that such deportations are not a new phenomenon, emphasizing that the U.S. has been sending back illegal immigrants for years.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who recently visited the United States, reiterated India’s stance on the issue. He assured that India would accept its citizens who are found to be living illegally in the U.S. However, he stressed the importance of tackling human trafficking.
“Our bigger fight is against that entire ecosystem, and we are confident that President Trump will fully cooperate with India in finishing this ecosystem,” Modi stated.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in India defended the deportations, underscoring their importance to national security and public safety.
“Enforcing our nation’s immigration laws is critically important to the national security and public safety of the United States,” an embassy spokesperson said. “It is the policy of the United States to faithfully execute the immigration laws against all inadmissible and removable aliens.”
India ranks as the third-largest source of undocumented immigrants in the U.S., following Mexico and El Salvador.
Many of those deported, particularly from Punjab, had initially sought to migrate to the U.S. in hopes of securing a better future for their families. However, their aspirations were crushed when they were caught at the U.S. border and sent back to India in shackles.