The United States has deported 205 Indian migrants as part of its ongoing crackdown on illegal immigration. A US military C-17 aircraft departed from San Antonio, Texas, on Monday, carrying the deported individuals to Punjab’s Amritsar, news agency Reuters reported. The flight is expected to take more than 24 hours to reach its destination.
This marks the longest military transport flight for migrants under the Trump administration, which has intensified its efforts to enforce stricter immigration laws. A spokesperson for the US embassy confirmed the deportation but refrained from disclosing specific details.
“The United States 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 stated.
The US Department of Defense has also initiated deportation flights for over 5,000 detained migrants from El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California. So far, US military aircraft have deported individuals to Guatemala, Peru, and Honduras.
India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar commented on the development, affirming that the government is open to the lawful return of Indian nationals residing illegally in foreign nations, including the US. He also cautioned about the presence of approximately 18,000 undocumented Indians in the US.
Jaishankar was in Washington as the Special Envoy to the Prime Minister and attended the first Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) meeting since Donald Trump assumed office as the 47th US President.
The issue of illegal Indian migration has drawn increasing attention. According to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data, Indian nationals accounted for approximately 90,415 attempts to enter the US unlawfully in the 2023-24 period, primarily via the northern border. Indians now represent around 3% of all unauthorized crossings, surpassing other Asian nationalities such as Filipinos.
The US Department of Homeland Security has deported over 1,100 Indian nationals in the 2023-24 period alone. In total, 495 repatriation flights have returned 160,000 individuals to 145 countries, including India.
