CHANDIGARH: Between January 20 and July 22 this year, a total of 1,703 Indian citizens were deported from the United States, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed in response to a question in the Lok Sabha.
The highest number of deportees was from Punjab, followed by Haryana and Gujarat. Of the total, 767 individuals returned on commercial flights from the US, while 333 were deported via US Customs and Border Protection (Military) flights.
In a written reply to a question posed by MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh shared these statistics in the Lok Sabha. Among the deportees, 1,562 were men and 141 were women. The state-wise breakdown is as follows: Punjab (620), Haryana (604), Gujarat (245), Uttar Pradesh (38), Goa (26), Maharashtra (20), Delhi (20), Telangana (19), Tamil Nadu (17), Andhra Pradesh (12), Uttarakhand (12), Himachal Pradesh (10), Jammu & Kashmir (10), Kerala (8), Chandigarh (8), Madhya Pradesh (7), Rajasthan (7), West Bengal (6), Karnataka (5), Odisha (1), Bihar (1), Jharkhand (1), and six cases with the state of origin unknown.
Further details on the modes of deportation revealed that 333 individuals were deported by the US Customs and Border Protection (Military) flights on February 5, 15, and 16. Another 231 were deported on charter flights by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on March 19, June 8, and June 25. Additionally, 300 people were deported on July 5 and 18 via Department of Homeland Security (DHS) charter flights.
Seventy-two deportees arrived in India individually or in small groups, as and when their commercial flight tickets were arranged from Panama. Another 767 individuals returned from the US on commercial flights, again in small groups or individually.
The Ministry stated that it remains engaged with the US authorities to ensure the humane treatment of deportees during these operations. It said concerns had been strongly registered with the US regarding the treatment of deportees—especially the use of shackles, including on women and children.
“Concerns with regard to religious/cultural sensitivities, including the use of turbans and dietary preferences, have also been formally taken up with the US side. The Ministry has not received any complaint pertaining to the treatment of deportees on any flight after February 5, 2025,” the reply stated.
On the issue of monitoring the status of Indian students and migrants in the US facing deportation or visa-related challenges, including social media-based vetting procedures, the MEA said it had received several representations from Indian students and their families struggling to get student visa appointments.
“The Ministry took up the matter with the US Embassy in New Delhi as well as the US Department of State,” the reply said. In response, the US side informed that additional security requirements for student visas had reduced the capacity of the US Embassy and consulates in India to process visas. However, student visa appointments are now open.
“For the J-1 physician category, the US side has launched a software-based solution to prioritise their appointments. Several students who had earlier reported difficulty in finding appointment slots under this category have now been able to secure appointments. The US Embassy is working to open a limited number of additional student visa appointments through the end of August in recognition of the urgent need before the start of the new academic year. A student visa fact sheet with frequently asked questions (FAQs) is also being developed to reduce uncertainty around the issue,” the reply noted.
The Ministry added that while visa issuance remains a sovereign prerogative of the host country, it has consistently raised with both the US Embassy in New Delhi and the US State Department in Washington, DC, the issues faced by Indian students in securing visas.