Viral video: Indian student handcuffed, deported from US airport
PTC Web Desk: A disturbing incident at Newark Liberty International Airport in the United States has drawn outrage after a video surfaced showing an Indian student being handcuffed, pinned to the ground, and subsequently deported. The footage was shared on social media by Kunal Jain, a social entrepreneur and NRI, who claimed to have witnessed the event unfold in real-time.
"I saw a young Indian student being deported from Newark Airport last night—handcuffed, crying, treated like a criminal. He came chasing dreams, not causing harm. As an NRI, I felt helpless and heartbroken. This is a human tragedy," Jain posted on X (formerly Twitter), along with images and videos of the incident.
I witnessed a young Indian student being deported from Newark Airport last night— handcuffed, crying, treated like a criminal. He came chasing dreams, not causing harm. As an NRI, I felt helpless and heartbroken. This is a human tragedy. @IndianEmbassyUS #immigrationraids pic.twitter.com/0cINhd0xU1 — Kunal Jain (@SONOFINDIA) June 8, 2025
Here more videos and @IndianEmbassyUS need to help here. This poor guy was speaking in Haryanvi language. I could recognise his accent where he was saying “में पागल नहीं हूँ , ये लोग मुझे पागल साबित करने में लगे हुए हे” pic.twitter.com/vV72CFP7eu — Kunal Jain (@SONOFINDIA) June 8, 2025
According to Jain, the student, who was reportedly speaking in Haryanvi, appeared emotionally distressed and repeatedly insisted that he was not mentally unwell, countering what he described as efforts by the airport authorities to portray him otherwise.
“These kids board a flight in the morning with valid visas and are sent back on an evening flight, shackled like criminals,” Jain alleged. “Every day, 3–4 such cases are happening. In recent days, the frequency seems to have increased.”
He called upon the Indian Embassy in Washington DC and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to urgently investigate the matter. "Someone must find out what’s happening with him at the New Jersey immigration office. I found him completely disoriented," Jain added.
This troubling episode comes against the backdrop of a heightened immigration crackdown by the US government, particularly targeting international students. Students have reportedly had their visas revoked without prior notice, citing varied reasons ranging from involvement in pro-Palestinian protests to minor traffic violations—leading to a spike in deportations and immense confusion in the student community.
According to the US Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) FY 2023 Entry/Exit Overstay Report, the overstay rate for F-category (student) visas rose to 3.5%. Though there is no comprehensive, evidence-backed data specific to Indian student overstays, India remains among the top ten nations with the highest visa overstay volumes.
Moreover, unofficial reports suggest that more than 1,500 Indian nationals may have been deported from the US in Fiscal Year 2024—a figure that underscores growing concerns around the treatment of Indian immigrants, especially students, under the evolving U.S. immigration regime.
- With inputs from agencies
