US intensifies crackdown against illegal migrants; flights carrying 205 Indian nationals depart from San Antonio

New Delhi: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, the United States has started deporting Indian migrants from the country.

This follows the Trump administration's decision to deport all illegal migrants from the US.

Earlier, migrants from Guatemala, Peru, and Honduras were deported from the US. Now US authorities are looking for Indian migrants who could be deported.

A crackdown on illegal immigration is one of the pillars of Trump's presidential campaign. US borders have been strengthened and thousands of appointments have been canceled, shattering the dreams of those who wanted to enter the US.

A US military aircraft has started deporting Indian migrants, following President Donald Trump’s crackdown on undocumented immigration. On February 4, Tuesday, C-17 aircraft carrying 205 Indian nationals departed from San Antonio, Texas. Media reports indicate that the plane is carrying is expected to land in Amritsar on February 6, Wednesday.

India is the farthest destination of US military flights deporting migrants. The Pentagon is deporting over 5,000 migrants from El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California.

Costly Affair:

Illegal immigrants are being deported by plane, significantly, on military planes. The use of military planes for deportation is unusual in the US, it is also very expensive.

According to the report by Reuters, Reuters, military flights are a costly way to transport migrants. Reuters reported that a military deportation flight to Guatemala last week likely cost at least $4,675 per migrant.

India ready to accept migrants:

According to the report published by the Department of Homeland Security in 2024, around 220,000 unauthorized Indian immigrants lived in the US as of 2022.

According to a report by Bloomberg, the US has identified around 18,000 illegal Indian migrants to be sent back home, for which India will verify and start the process of deportation. Youth from western India, in particular the states of Punjab and Gujarat, are believed to constitute a majority of the undocumented immigrants in the US.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) hasn't spoken on the deportation issue officially. However, on January 24, the MEA stated that it would facilitate the return of Indian nationals "overstaying" or residing without proper documentation in the United States or “anywhere in the world.”

As the deported Indian immigrants are likely to land in Amritsar, Punjab NRI affairs minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal who is likely to receive the state natives at the Airport expressed disappointment over the US decision to deport these people, saying they have contributed to the US economy and should have been granted permanent residency, instead of being deported.

In an official statement issued in Amritsar, Dhaliwal said many Indians had entered the US with work permits, which later expired, making them illegal.