332 illegal Indians deported from US, 3rd batch of 112 arrives in India

Under US President Donald Trump’s new administration undocumented immigrants are being deported back to home countries. India is among the top three that also include Mexico and El Salvador.

On Sunday 16th February 2025 late evening, a US military aircraft arrived at Amritsar International airport with the third batch of deportees numbering 112. The first batch of 104 deportees arrived on 5 February and the second batch of 116 deportees on 15th February. Within 10 days 332 Indians have been sent back as they entered the US illegally and were living there without documents.

In the latest batch, 31 are from Punjab, 44 from Haryana, 33 from Gujarat, two from Uttar Pradesh and one each from Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The families of some of them came to Amritsar airport to receive them. Indian sources said the deportees will be sent home after completing official formalities that include verification of their Indian identity, background checks and papers. Indian government has made arrangements for their return to native places in the country.

During the recent visit to US of Prime Minister Modi, India officially raised the issue that deportees were sent shackled and restrained in the flight, and freed upon arrival in India. After heated Parliamentary debate and uproar in India, Indian officials requested that a humane approach be used and deportees should not be ill-treated. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had assured Parliament that India was engaging with US on the issue. Modi highlighted the issue of human trafficking, noting that most if not all deportees were duped and had to pay millions if Rupees with the lure of permanent immigration.

The US says that deportation of undocumented illegal immigrants is not new and action taken is in the interest of national security and public safety of the United States.

It is believed that both India and the US cooperate on ascertaining the background of deportees.