Record Number Of Indian Illegals Crossing Into US: Wall Street Journal
India-West News Desk
NEW YORK, NY – A substantial influx of Indian immigrants into the US via its southern border has garnered attention, with The Wall Street Journal reporting that approximately 42,000 individuals were intercepted in the past year alone, according to recent federal statistics.
US Customs and Border Protection disclosed this figure last month, revealing that it is more than double the number from the same period in the previous year when Indian crossings had already reached a record high. The total number of migrant encounters for the fiscal year has surged to 2.48 million, up from 2.38 million in 2022, marking a historic first in this regard.
US Customs and Border Protection data further reveals that between February 2019 and March 2023, a staggering 1.49 lakh (149,000) Indians were detained while attempting illegal entry into the US. Moreover, during this escalating problem, over 1,600 more people crossed the northern border, a fourfold increase compared to the previous three years combined.
Many of these Indian immigrants enter the country for economic reasons, although they are not eligible for asylum. A significant motivating factor for these migrants is the influence of other Indians who have successfully found employment in the US through similar means.
These individuals often find themselves lured by traffickers employing a method known as “donkey flights,” a term derived from a Punjabi saying meaning “to hop from one area to another.” This tactic exploits immigration loopholes, involving multiple stops in different countries before gaining access to a foreign nation.
Various social media platforms have featured videos showing men and women taking different routes to reach the United States, one of the most perilous being the Darien jungle—a hazardous 66-mile passage between Panama and Colombia that leads to Central America and the United States. Known for its venomous wildlife, treacherous terrain, and challenging navigation, it is considered one of the riskiest migration routes globally.
In the past, Indian illegals favored entering the US through the border with Mexico rather than the border with Canada. However, the number of arrests on the US-Mexico border closely aligned with those at the US-Canada border in September, totaling 3,862. Many of these illegal immigrants, most of whom are reported to be from Gujarat, have either settled in Canada or are awaiting a chance to enter the United States.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Mexico tops the list globally in terms of infiltrators, with 21 lakh (2.1 million) individuals, followed by Honduras (6.42 lakh), Guatemala (6.37 lakh), Cuba (4.06 lakh), and Venezuela (3.23 lakh).
Mouli
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Most of these should be deported without dragging the process through courts. Should teach a lesson to future illegals.
October 30, 2023ARISH SAHANI
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INDIAN MOST LAW ABIDING CITIZEN WHERE EVER THEY LIVE . EVERY COUNTRY WILL LIKE TO HOST AS LONG AS THEY ARE HINDUD .
October 30, 2023A.Padmanabhan
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Ananta
shame on them for bringing a bad name to the country
October 30, 2023Partha Sircar
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It is mind boggling. In particular, when one constantly reads about India’s growing economy. Perhaps more surprisingly, the article indicates the bulk of the illegals hail from, above all places, Gujarat. We have been shearing so often that the state is doing exceptionally well.
October 30, 2023Anil
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Great News!
At least two illegals have to work to feed another illegal sitting around on govt. aid.
Indians should be welcome. 10% of the Indian illegals will be millionaires by the time they are 65.
October 31, 2023Pradeep Srivastava
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This news is embarrassing for Indian Americans, Indians living in India, and India, in general. There is so much hype about the phenomenal economic growth of India and yet Indians are fleeing India. It’s even more surprising to learn that many of the illegal immigrants hail from Gujarat, which is supposed to have a strong economy.
The following are some additional facts that can be gleaned from the under the title, “ Indians entering the US illegally in record numbers: WSJ”:
The Wall Street Journal cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Hindu nationalist policies” and success stories from those who have made the trip among factors driving the surge.
There has also been an influx of smugglers masquerading as travel agents across villages, especially in the northern states of Punjab and Haryana, according to the Journal.
Roughly 42,000 migrants from India have crossed the southern border illegally during the fiscal year starting last October through September, according to data compiled by US Customs and Border Protection.
That is more than double the number from the same period the prior year, when crossings by Indians hit a historic high, the Journal noted.
An additional 1,600 have crossed from the northern border illegally — four times the number who crossed in the last three years combined.
Deepak Ahluwalia, an immigration lawyer told the Journal he is seeing an increasing number of political and religious persecution asylum cases from India, especially from the Sikh community. Modi’s handling of a yearlong protest by Sikh farmers contributed to discontent within the community.
Many Indian migrants are also coming to the US for economic reasons, which don’t qualify them for asylum, saying in videos posted on social media and in interviews after being deported back that the lack of well-paying jobs made them desperate to leave, the Journal reported.
In many cases, they sell everything they own to pay smugglers, who now operate on a much more global and professionalized scale across the world.
Roughly 80% of the migrants from India are single adults, and most are coming through Arizona after taking what are coming to be known as “donkey flights” via countries that don’t require visas for Indian nationals or that have an easier process for obtaining travel visas.
Some have died during the journey, including Gurupreet Kaur, a 6-year-old girl from Punjab who perished in the Arizona desert in 2019. Two sets of families of four from Gujarat also died crossing the northern border in the past two years.
November 1, 2023