US Deports Indian Nationals Amid Immigration Crackdown

New Delhi: The United States announced on Saturday (IST) the deportation of several Indian nationals who had entered the country unlawfully. Earlier this week, a charter flight was arranged to return these individuals to India. While the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not disclose the exact number of Indian nationals deported on Tuesday, the move is part of a broader initiative to address unauthorised immigration.

In a statement released on Saturday, the DHS stated, “On October 22, the US DHS, through US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), conducted a large-frame charter removal flight to the Republic of India of Indian nationals who did not establish a legal basis to remain in the United States.”

Kristie A. Canegallo, senior official performing the duties of the DHS, emphasised the department’s stance on unauthorised immigration. “Indians without a legal basis to remain in the US are subject to swift removal, and intending migrants should not fall for the lies of smugglers who proclaim otherwise,” she stated. Canegallo added, “The Department of Homeland Security will continue to enforce our nation’s laws.”

The statement further highlighted the DHS' efforts to curb illegal immigration. “DHS continues to enforce US immigration laws and deliver tough consequences for those who enter unlawfully. This includes swiftly returning those without a legal basis to remain in the US, while encouraging the use of lawful pathways,” the DHS noted. Since June 2024, following the implementation of the securing the Border Presidential Proclamation and its accompanying Interim Final Rule, encounters at ports of entry along the southwest border have decreased by 55 per cent.

Since June 2024, DHS has removed or returned over 160,000 people and operated more than 495 international repatriation flights to over 145 countries, including India. “The DHS regularly engages with foreign governments throughout the hemisphere and around the world to accept repatriations of their nationals without a legal basis to remain in the US,” the statement continued. This collaboration aims to reduce irregular migration, promote safe and lawful pathways, and hold transnational criminal networks accountable for smuggling and exploiting vulnerable individuals.

Over the past year, DHS has deported individuals to various countries, including Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Egypt, Mauritania, Senegal, Uzbekistan, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and India. “As a result of these efforts, DHS removed or returned more individuals in FY2024 than any year since FY2010, and DHS continues to expand removal flight operations,” the DHS concluded.