Trump Policies Reach India: 205 Indian Illegals Flown Back

India-West News Desk

WASHINGTON, DC– A U.S. military aircraft carrying 205 Indian nationals deported for illegal entry has departed for India, marking the Trump administration’s farthest military transport of migrants, a U.S. official told Reuters on February 4. The C-17 aircraft took off from Texas and is en route to Amritsar, according to sources cited by NDTV.

The deportation process involved identity verification, signaling India’s cooperation in the operation.

A U.S. Embassy spokesperson in New Delhi, reported ANI, defended the move, stating, “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.”

In 2023, a record 67,391 Indian citizens illegally crossed the U.S. border. Gujarati Samachar reported that 41,330 of them were Gujaratis. Unlike 2021, when most detained Indian migrants were single adults, recent data shows family units now make up about 15% of the total.

The deportation comes amid reports that India and the U.S. have identified approximately 18,000 Indian nationals who entered the U.S. illegally. According to Bloomberg, this is expected to be the first of several such flights.

While India has accepted the deportations for now, the optics of Indian migrants being returned on military planes may stir colonial-era sentiments and impact Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s standing, as well as India-U.S. bilateral relations, Indian Express noted.

The timing is particularly significant, as reports suggest Modi may visit the U.S. next week.