Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: In a significant development, 205 Indian nationals who had illegally entered the United States have been deported on a US military aircraft, sources confirmed. The C-17 US military aircraft departed from Texasapproximately six hours ago and is bringing the deported individuals back to India.
Sources further revealed that each deported Indian national had been verified before their departure, indicating New Delhi’s involvement in the process. This deportation flight is expected to be the first of many that will repatriate illegal Indian immigrants from the US.
Trump’s Hardline Stance on Illegal Immigration
The mass deportation aligns with US President Donald Trump’s strict policies against illegal immigration. Previously, US military aircraft have deported illegal migrants to Guatemala, Peru, and Honduras.
“For the first time in history, we are locating and loading illegal aliens into military aircraft and flying them back to the places from which they came,” Trump said last month.
Reports suggest that India and the US have identified over 18,000 illegal Indian migrants who entered the US without proper documentation.
Deportation Comes Ahead of PM Modi’s US Visit
This development comes amid reports that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit the US next week—his first trip after Trump’s re-election for a second term. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had earlier stated that India is open to facilitating the legitimate return of its nationals living abroad without documentation.
India’s Stance on Illegal Immigration
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reiterated that India does not support illegal immigration, as it is often linked to organized crime.
“For Indians not just in the United States, but anywhere in the world, if they are overstaying, or in a country without proper documentation, we will take them back—provided documents are shared with us for verification,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
With the ongoing deportations, India is expected to work closely with the US government to ensure that proper verification and repatriation procedures are followed for other identified illegal migrants.
