First wave of deportations coincides with Prime Minister Modi’s upcoming visit to Washington.
A US military C-17 aircraft carrying 104 deported Indian nationals landed at Shri Guru Ramdas Ji International Airport in Amritsar on Wednesday at 1:55 PM.
Among those deported, 30 are from Punjab, while 33 each hail from Haryana and Gujarat, three from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, and two from Chandigarh. An official confirmation of the total number is still awaited.
The deportation follows the US government’s intensified crackdown on illegal immigration, a policy that gained momentum under former President Donald Trump and continues under the current administration. Many of these individuals had entered the US through unauthorized means, often referred to as the “donkey route,” paying large sums to human traffickers.
India has expressed willingness to accept deported nationals, subject to verification and background checks. Authorities will be focusing on identifying any individuals with criminal records before allowing them to return home.
External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar previously stated that New Delhi is open to the “legitimate return” of undocumented Indian migrants, a position he reaffirmed in discussions with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio last month.
With approximately 725,000 undocumented Indians living in the US, the country ranks third in unauthorized immigration numbers, after Mexico and El Salvador, according to the Pew Research Centre.
The deportation comes just days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to Washington, raising speculation about US-India discussions on immigration policies and border security cooperation.
The investigation into the deported individuals is ongoing, and authorities urge families and concerned parties to await further updates from officials.