The United States deported 205 Indian nationals residing illegally in the country on a US military aircraft that took off from Texas on (January 4), according to sources reported by NDTV. The deportation underscores increasing US efforts to crack down on illegal immigration under President Donald Trump’s administration.
A US Air Force C-17 aircraft transported the deported individuals, marking the first instance of Indian nationals being repatriated on a military flight. According to sources, each deportee was verified in collaboration with Indian authorities, indicating the Indian government’s involvement in the process. It is expected that this will be the first of many such flights repatriating illegal Indian immigrants from the US.
The Scale of Deportation
According to Reuters, the Pentagon has been actively facilitating flights to deport more than 5,000 undocumented immigrants from detention centers in El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California. Migrants have already been sent back to Guatemala, Peru, and Honduras using similar means. The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has identified around 18,000 illegal Indian immigrants among 1.5 million individuals targeted for deportation.
India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar, had previously stated that New Delhi is open to the “legitimate return” of Indian nationals who have overstayed their visas or reside in foreign countries without proper documentation. Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reaffirmed this stance, saying, “For Indians not just in the United States, but anywhere in the world, if they are Indian nationals and they are overstaying or undocumented, we will take them back provided verification is completed.”
Political Implications and Modi’s US Visit
Speculation is rife that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit the US next week—his first official visit since the beginning of Trump’s second presidency. Reports suggest that Trump has received assurances from Modi that India “will do what’s right” in repatriating its undocumented citizens.
The Pew Research Center estimates that approximately 725,000 illegal Indian immigrants reside in the US, making them the third-largest group of unauthorized migrants after those from Mexico and El Salvador.
Trump’s Immigration Crackdown & The Debate on Citizenship
The Trump administration has been aggressively enforcing immigration laws, aligning with the president’s ‘America for Americans’ and ‘Make America Great Again’ (MAGA) agenda. A spokesperson for the US Embassy in New Delhi reiterated that the US is ‘vigorously enforcing its border, tightening immigration laws, and removing illegal migrants.’
“These actions send a clear message: illegal migration is not worth the risk,” the spokesperson added.
In a controversial statement made on January 30, Trump weighed in on birthright citizenship, stating that it was originally meant for the children of slaves and not for unauthorized immigrants. “This was not meant for the whole world to come in and pile into the United States of America,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
However, Native American activist groups have challenged Trump’s hardline immigration stance, questioning the legitimacy of defining ‘illegal immigrants’ in a nation built on land taken from indigenous communities.
As deportations increase and immigration policies tighten, the fate of thousands of Indian immigrants in the US remains uncertain. Meanwhile, the Indian government continues to balance diplomatic relations with Washington while addressing concerns about its citizens abroad.
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