A US military aircraft carrying 104 illegal Indian immigrants, including 13 children, arrived in Amritsar on Wednesday. This event is part of President Donald Trump's ongoing crackdown on undocumented immigrants in the United States.
This marks the first instance of Indian illegal immigrants being deported from the US under the crackdown initiated by Trump on January 20.
The C-17 US military plane departed from San Antonio, Texas, and landed at the Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport at 1:59 pm. Officials from the police and civil administration were present to receive the 104 individuals, consisting of 79 men and 25 women.
A representative from the US Embassy was also in attendance at the airport. Among the deported individuals, 33 hail from Haryana, 33 from Gujarat, 30 from Punjab, three each from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, and two from Chandigarh. Sources indicate that most of these individuals were apprehended at the US-Mexico border. Although they attempted to enter the US illegally, they are not considered offenders in India as they likely used legal means to leave the country. Consequently, there is no basis for their arrest in India.
There were earlier reports suggesting that around 200 Indians were on board the military aircraft; however, it was later confirmed that the number was 104. Punjab's NRI Affairs Minister, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, expressed disappointment over the US government's decision to deport these immigrants. He plans to meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar next week to discuss the issue, arguing that these individuals, who contributed to the economy, should have been granted permanent residency instead.
Dhaliwal also mentioned that many Indians had entered the US on work permits, which expired, leading to their status as illegal immigrants. Meanwhile, Shashi Kant, former DGP of Punjab, criticised the deportation, describing it as a "shrewd political move".
The US deported illegal Indian immigrants using a military aircraft, marking the first time such a method has been employed. This represents the farthest destination reached using a military plane for deportation purposes.
The issue of migration has been a significant topic of discussion between India and the US since President Trump assumed office last month. It is expected to be on the agenda during an upcoming meeting between Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington next week.
During a recent meeting with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasised the Trump administration's intention to collaborate with India to address concerns related to irregular migration. New Delhi has indicated its willingness to accept the return of such illegal immigrants after verifying their details.
The US is India's largest trading partner. India is also eager to work with the US to facilitate the acquisition of skilled worker visas for its citizens.
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has prepared an initial list of nearly 18,000 undocumented Indian nationals among 1.5 million individuals marked for deportation.