By Bayero Ade
A U.S. military aircraft carrying 104 Indian nationals who had entered the United States illegally landed in Amritsar, India, on Wednesday.
According to Xinhua, this marks the first group of Indian deportees under President Donald Trump’s aggressive campaign against illegal immigration.
The C-17 aircraft, which departed from San Antonio, Texas, on Tuesday, arrived at the Amritsar airport in the afternoon. Local authorities, including police and civil officials, were present to receive the deported individuals—comprising 79 men and 25 women.
Of the 104 deportees, 33 are from Haryana and Gujarat, 30 from Punjab, 3 from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, and 2 from Chandigarh. According to reports from local news channel NDTV, each individual aboard the flight had been verified, reflecting India’s involvement in the process.
Officials clarified that the deportees were not criminals in India, but rather had sought illegal entry into the U.S. after legally departing India. This deportation comes as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to crack down on illegal immigration.
India’s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar previously stated that the country is open to the “legitimate return” of Indian nationals living illegally abroad, including those in the U.S. India’s Ministry of External Affairs has also expressed concern about the negative impact of illegal immigration, which is often linked to organized crime.
The U.S. has also conducted similar deportation operations for illegal immigrants from other countries, including Guatemala, Peru, and Honduras.
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