A US military C-17 aircraft, carrying 205 Indians deported under President Donald Trump’s campaign against illegal immigration, landed in Amritsar. The plane departed from Texas yesterday, marking a significant event in ongoing deportation efforts.
According to NDTV sources, each individual onboard the flight has been “verified,” reflecting New Delhi’s involvement in the deportation process. This is reportedly the first of many such flights intended to return illegal Indian immigrants from the US to India.
President Trump, since taking office, has intensified his crackdown on illegal immigrants. The US military had previously deported immigrants to countries like Guatemala, Peru, and Honduras through similar operations. Reports suggest that this initial round of Indian deportations coincides with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to the US next week—his first visit since Trump assumed office for the second time.
Trump stated that Prime Minister Modi assured him of India’s cooperation in accepting deported nationals, with about 18,000 illegal Indian migrants identified for deportation, according to a Bloomberg report.
External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar reaffirmed India’s stance on accepting the “legitimate return” of Indian nationals living illegally abroad. At a press briefing, ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated that India would facilitate the return of overstaying nationals once their identities and documentation were verified.
