205 Indians deported from US to arrive in Amritsar aboard C-17 military aircraft shortly; check list of returnees
PTC Web Desk: A total of 205 Indian nationals, who were residing illegally in the United States, are set to arrive in India today after being deported. The deportees will be flown to Amritsar aboard a US military aircraft, C-17. Among them, approximately 33 persons are from Haryana and 30 from Punjab, bringing the total estimated number of deportees to 104 from these states.
The deportation flight departed from San Antonio, Texas, on Tuesday afternoon and is expected to land at the Indian Air Force base in Amritsar around 1.30 pm. Security has been significantly tightened around the airbase, with the deployment of Punjab Police and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). The Punjab government has arranged buses to facilitate the transportation of deportees to their respective hometowns.
The authorities confirm that they have received the official list of the returning Indians. Preliminary investigations indicate that none of them have criminal records. Several deportees are travelling with their families, having been expelled due to improper or missing documentation. After undergoing immigration and customs processing, the deportees will be handed over to the Punjab Police.
The Amritsar airport has been witnessing heightened activity since the flight’s departure from the US. Continuous meetings are being held among Indian security agencies to ensure smooth handling upon arrival. The flight will be accompanied by 56 US officials and crew members, including 11 flight crew and 45 American officers, who will return to the US after overseeing the deportation process.
Sources said there are no official orders to detain the deportees nor has any detention centre been established by the local administration for this purpose.
According to sources, deportees typically do not possess their passports. In such cases, the Indian embassy issues a temporary travel certificate after conducting thorough verification. This certificate is revoked upon arrival in India, and local police continue to monitor and verify their records.
Since Donald Trump assumed office as the US President, there has been a significant crackdown on illegal immigration. Within just 11 days of his presidency, over 25,000 undocumented immigrants have been detained across 12 states, predominantly in Republican-controlled regions. Among them, 1,700 are Indian nationals. Additionally, 18,000 Indians have been shortlisted for deportation.
Reports indicate that illegal crossings at the US-Mexico border have witnessed a dramatic 94% decline. Between January 1 and January 19, during the final days of the Biden administration, an average of 2,087 illegal crossings were recorded daily. However, following Trump’s assumption of office on January 20, the daily average plummeted to just 126 cases.
As per data released by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), approximately 17,940 Indians are currently classified as undocumented immigrants in the US. While they have not been imprisoned for illegal entry, they remain entangled in an extensive bureaucratic process that could take up to three years for resolution.
Official statistics also reveal that in 2023, the US issued 386,000 H-1B visas, with nearly three-quarters being granted to Indian nationals.
- PTC NEWS