Amritsar| February 5, 2025
In a major development in US immigration policy, a US military aircraft carrying 104 Indian illegal immigrants landed in Amritsar on Wednesday, marking the first large-scale deportation of Indian nationals under President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
This move is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to send back undocumented individuals, a policy that has been in motion since his first day in office on January 20. While this deportation targets 104 individuals today, reports suggest that nearly 18,000 undocumented Indians could be forced to leave the US in the coming months.
A Flight from the US to Punjab
The C-17 US military aircraft, which departed from San Antonio, landed at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport at 1:59 PM. Onboard were 79 men, 25 women, and 13 children. Indian police, civil administration officials, and a US Embassy representative were present at the airport to receive them.
The deported individuals came from different states in India:
• Punjab – 30 people
• Haryana – 33 people
• Gujarat – 33 people
• Maharashtra & Uttar Pradesh – 3 people each
• Chandigarh – 2 people
According to sources familiar with the matter, most of these deportees were caught at the US-Mexico border while attempting to enter the country illegally, often through the “donkey route”—a term used for unauthorized migration networks.
Deportation or Displacement?
While these individuals did not commit crimes in India, their journey to the US violated immigration laws, making them undocumented immigrants under US jurisdiction. However, under Indian law, they face no legal consequences, as they left the country using valid passports and visas. If any lack documentation, biometric identification will be used to verify their identities.
The scale of the deportation operation raises a larger question—how should India respond? Punjab’s Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav announced that the state government had prepared for their arrival, setting up counters at the airport to process their re-entry.
However, Punjab’s NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal voiced his frustration over the US’s approach. He plans to meet External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar next week to raise the issue, arguing that many of these individuals had contributed to the US economy and should have been granted permanent residency instead of being deported.
Trump’s Largest Deportation Drive in US History
This deportation is not an isolated event—it is part of a sweeping crackdown on illegal immigration under Trump’s renewed policies. His administration has pledged to carry out the largest deportation in American history, with 1.5 million undocumented immigrants targeted for removal.
Indians form a big part of America’s unauthorized population. According to Pew Research Center data, the US is home to about 725,000 illegal Indian immigrants, making them the third-largest group of undocumented individuals, after Mexico and El Salvador.
The US military has now stepped in to speed up deportations, providing flights to remove over 5,000 immigrants currently held in El Paso, California, and other locations.
A Bigger Immigration Debate
The deportation of Indian nationals is just one part of a much bigger immigration issue—one that affects US domestic politics, international relations, and job markets.
For the Trump administration, tightening immigration laws is a key priority, based on the idea that removing undocumented workers will create more jobs for Americans. Critics, however, argue that many illegal immigrants take jobs that Americans do not want, particularly in agriculture, construction, and service industries.
For India, this raises tough questions about how to help thousands of returning migrants and whether diplomatic efforts can create better legal migration options in the future.
As deportation flights continue, the key question remains: Will this lead to permanent immigration restrictions, or will economic realities push the US to reconsider its policies?
For now, the 104 individuals landing in Amritsar today are just the first wave in what could become one of the most extensive mass deportations in modern history
