A US military plane carrying 104 deported Indian migrants landed in a northern Indian city on Wednesday, marking the first such flight under a crackdown initiated by the Trump administration, The Associated Press reports.
Airport officials confirmed the arrival, noting that the people had entered the United States illegally over several years and originated from various states across India.
This deportation comes ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to Washington next week. Immigration was a topic of discussion in a recent phone call between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Modi, with Trump emphasizing the importance of India increasing its purchases of American-made security equipment and ensuring fair bilateral trade practices.
The Indian government has indicated its cooperation with the US on this matter, affirming its readiness to accept deported citizens following proper verification. New Delhi has consistently stated its opposition to illegal immigration, citing its connection to organized crime, and has not objected to the US deporting Indian nationals.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently stated that deportation flights are an effective method for curbing illegal migration, which he characterized as “destructive and destabilizing.” The State Department echoed this sentiment, asserting that such deportations serve as a deterrent to others contemplating illegal migration.
India’s junior External Affairs Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh informed Parliament that, according to US government data, 519 Indian nationals were deported to India between November 2023 and October 2024. He added that the US government utilizes both commercial and chartered flights for deportation purposes.
According to media reports, some 725,000 undocumented Indians reside in the US, primarily from the states of Punjab and Gujarat. Indians constituted roughly 3% of all illegal border crossings into the US in 2024.
The Indian Express newspaper reports that as of November of last year, 20,407 undocumented Indians were either facing final removal orders or were being held in detention centers operated by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
