Over 100 illegal Indian migrants deported from US via military aircraft land in Amritsar

The deportees—79 men and 25 women—include 30 from Punjab, 33 each from Haryana and Gujarat, three from Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, and two from Chandigarh.
A US military C-17 transport aircraft carrying Indians deported for illegal immigration landed in Amritsar on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025.
A US military C-17 transport aircraft carrying Indians deported for illegal immigration landed in Amritsar on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025.Photo | EPS
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CHANDIGARH: A US military aircraft carrying 104 illegal Indian immigrants landed Wednesday at Amritsar International Airport, marking the first such deportation under President Donald Trump’s second term.

The deportees include 30 from Punjab, 33 each from Haryana and Gujarat, three from Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, and two from Chandigarh.

This is the first time the US has used a military plane for deporting migrants to India, with previous deportations having been carried out on commercial flights.

The C-17 Globemaster, which refueled at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, arrived at Sri Guru Ram Das Ji International Airport in Amritsar in the afternoon, carrying the deportees.

According to sources, of the 104 deported migrants, 79 are men and 25 are women. Thirteen are minors, aged between 4 and 17. The oldest deportee is 44-year-old Gurwinder Singh from Mumbai.

Of the 30 deportees belonging to Punjab, six are from Kapurthala, five from Amritsar, four each from Jalandhar and Patiala, two each from Ludhiana and SBS Nagar, and one each from Gurdaspur, Sangrur, SAS Nagar, Fatehgarh Sahib, and Tarn Taran.

Meanwhile, the 33 deportees belonging to Haryana are mainly from Kurukshetra, Karnal, and Kaithal.

A US military C-17 transport aircraft carrying Indians deported for illegal immigration landed in Amritsar on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025.
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The US had earlier identified around 18,000 illegal migrants to be deported to India, with the majority believed to be from Punjab and Gujarat. It had also noted that the actual number could be higher, as the total population of undocumented Indian migrants in the US remains unclear.

Data from the Pew Research Center estimates that approximately 725,000 illegal immigrants from India live in the US, making it the third-largest group of unauthorized immigrants after Mexico and El Salvador.

Many people from Punjab, who entered the US through "donkey routes" or other illegal means by spending lakhs of rupees, now face deportation.

According to US Customs and Border Protection (USCBP), about 1,700 Indians were apprehended between 2022 and November 2024.

In 2022, 409 were intercepted, 730 in 2023, and 517 in 2024 until November, including 42 minors.

The mass deportations are a key part of the Trump administration’s broader immigration policy, which has focused on stricter enforcement and the removal of undocumented individuals.

A US military C-17 transport aircraft carrying Indians deported for illegal immigration landed in Amritsar on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025.
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Last week, the US President said he discussed immigration with PM Narendra Modi and added that India would "do what is right" in handling the return of "illegal immigrants."

Similarly, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had previously stated that New Delhi is open to the "legitimate return" of Indian nationals living illegally abroad, including in the US.

Jaishankar had told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that India was ready to accept these migrants after verification. He also mentioned that India was in the process of verifying the identities of those potentially eligible for deportation, though the exact number remains undetermined.

In this regard, the Ministry of External Affairs stated on January 24 that it would facilitate the return of Indian nationals "overstaying" or residing without proper documentation in the US or "anywhere in the world."

A US military C-17 transport aircraft carrying Indians deported for illegal immigration landed in Amritsar on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025.
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