US military aircraft brings back 104 illegal Indian immigrants
Amritsar: A US military aircraft carrying 104 illegal immigrants from various Indian states landed in Amritsar on Wednesday, marking the first large-scale deportation under the Trump administration’s recent crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
The deportees included 33 individuals from Haryana and Gujarat each, 30 from Punjab, three each from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, and two from Chandigarh, sources said. Among them were 19 women and 13 minors.
The deportation comes just days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to Washington, where he is expected to hold talks with US President Donald Trump. The move has stirred discussions in India about the implications of the US administration’s intensified immigration policies.
The US Air Force’s C-17 Globemaster aircraft landed at the Amritsar airport at 1:55 pm under tight security. Heavy barricading was in place, and a significant police presence was deployed outside the airport to manage the situation.
Inside the terminal, the deportees were subjected to questioning by various government agencies, including the Punjab Police, state, and central intelligence agencies. Authorities are conducting verification and background checks before allowing the deportees to return to their respective homes.
“There is no official word yet on their release, but we are ensuring a thorough verification process before any further action,” a senior official involved in the operation said.
Many families of the deportees, who had taken significant loans to send their relatives abroad, gathered outside the airport, expressing frustration and seeking government intervention.
One of the families demanded financial assistance from the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government. “We had to sell our land and take loans amounting to Rs 20-25 lakh to send him to the US for a better future. Now that he has been deported, either the government should help us repay our debt or provide him with a job,” a family member said.
The deportation has sparked a political debate, with Opposition parties voicing concerns over the treatment of Indian nationals abroad. The Congress party expressed sadness over the “humiliating” images of Indians being handcuffed while being deported.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor pointed out that the media’s portrayal of the event overlooked crucial facts. “This is not the first such planeload, nor is it directly related to the ascent of @realDonaldTrump. There were 1,100 Indians deported in the previous fiscal year (ending September 2024), under Biden, not Trump. As of 2022, there were 725,000 undocumented Indian immigrants in the US—the third-largest group, outnumbered only by nationals of Mexico and El Salvador,” Tharoor said.
He added, “Since October 2020, US Customs and Border Protection officials have detained nearly 170,000 Indian migrants attempting to cross the border illegally from either Canada or Mexico. They are all subject to deportation.”
Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav confirmed that the state government was prepared to assist the returnees. “We have set up counters at the airport to facilitate the process,” he said.
Punjab NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal expressed disappointment over the US government’s decision, arguing that these individuals had contributed to the American economy and should have been considered for permanent residency instead of deportation.
“Many of them initially entered the US on valid work permits, which later expired, making them undocumented immigrants,” Dhaliwal said. He added that he plans to meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar next week to discuss the concerns of Punjabis residing in the US.
Dhaliwal also urged Punjabis to refrain from using illegal means to travel abroad. “Young people should focus on acquiring skills and education to access legal opportunities worldwide. Many fall prey to unscrupulous agents promising easy immigration routes, which ultimately leads to situations like this,” he said.
