U.S. deports Indians as Trump tightens immigration rules

U.S. deports Indians as Trump tightens immigration rules

Major crackdown: A file photo of detained immigrants being boarded on a U.S. C-17 military aircraft last month.reuters

U.S. military aircraft takes off with 200 people; Indian side said to have confirmed nationality of all individuals before they were put on the plane

THE HINDU 

Kallol Bhattacherjee  05.02.2025

NEW DELHI

Days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s expected visit to the U.S., the Donald Trump administration has started the process of deporting illegal Indian immigrants.

Sources confirmed that a wide-bodied military aircraft took off from the U.S. early on Tuesday morning carrying around 200 Indian nationals. Official sources here said that the Indian side confirmed the nationality of all the individuals before the U.S. authorities went ahead with the deportation.

Mr. Modi had spoken to President Donald Trump last week following which the White House announced that the Prime Minister was expected to visit Washington DC in February. “We will work together for the welfare of our people and towards global peace, prosperity, and security,” Mr. Modi said after the telephone conversation.

Shortly thereafter, Mr. Trump addressed the issue of illegal immigration from several countries, including India, and said, “He [Mr. Modi] will do what’s right when it comes to taking back illegal Indian immigrants from America.”

The conversation was held against the backdrop of reports that the two sides were in discussion over the presence of at least 18,000 Indian nationals in the U.S. who were being viewed as illegal immigrants by the Trump administration.

“The United States is vigorously enforcing its border, tightening immigration laws, and removing illegal migrants. These actions send a clear message: illegal migration is not worth the risk,” a U.S. Embassy spokesperson said here on Tuesday in response to a question on the deportation of the Indian nationals.

Indian sources, however, pointed out that while the deportation of Indian nationals who had landed in the U.S. through dubious means was not new, the use of a military aircraft to carry out the task was a new method.