A flight carrying 112 Indians deported from the United States for residing there illegally landed in Amritsar on Sunday night, marking the third such arrival in just 10 days as part of the Donald Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration. The US Air Force’s C-17 Globemaster aircraft arrived at Amritsar International Airport at approximately 10:03 PM.
Among the deportees, 31 are from Punjab, 44 from Haryana, 33 from Gujarat, two from Uttar Pradesh, and one each from Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Families of some deportees were present at the airport to receive them.
The deportees will undergo immigration, verification, and background checks before being allowed to proceed to their homes. Transportation arrangements have been made for their travel to respective destinations.
This deportation follows previous flights, with the first occurring on February 5, when 104 Indians were brought back. A second batch of 116 deportees arrived on Saturday. These deportations have sparked political controversy, with reports of the individuals being shackled and restrained during the flights, leading to public outrage in India.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar assured that India is engaging with the US to ensure the fair treatment of deportees. Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the importance of combating human trafficking and securing cooperation from President Trump in this fight. The US Embassy, however, defended the actions, stating that enforcing immigration laws is vital to US national security.
India is the third-largest source of undocumented immigrants in the US, after Mexico and El Salvador. Many deportees, particularly from Punjab, had hoped to improve their families’ lives in the US, but their dreams were cut short when they were apprehended and sent back.
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