Third US Flight Carrying Illegal Immigrants Arrives In India As Trump Administration Emphasises Laws Against 'Aliens'

On Sunday (16 February) night, a plane carrying 112 Indians, who had been expelled from the United States (US) for residing there illegally, arrived in Amritsar. This is the third such occurrence within a 10-day period, reflecting the Donald Trump administration's rigorous enforcement against such immigrants.

According to NDTV report, the C-17 Globemaster aircraft belonging to the US Air Force touched down at Amritsar International Airport approximately at 10.03 pm.

Among the deportees, 31 hail from Punjab, 44 from Haryana, 33 from Gujarat, two from Uttar Pradesh, and one each from Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Some of their families were present at the airport to welcome them home.

Once all procedures, such as immigration, verification, and background checks are completed, the deportees will be permitted to return to their residences. The sources reported that provisions have been arranged to transport the deportees to their respective destinations.

The first deportation occurred on 5 February, with a US military aircraft ferrying 104 Indians to Amritsar. A subsequent flight landed on Saturday, carrying an additional 116 Indians.

In the initial phase of deportation, individuals were kept in chains and restraints for the duration of the flight, only being released upon reaching India.

This action sparked a political controversy in India, inciting a commotion in both Parliamentary Houses during the concurrent Budget session. Those who returned on Saturday also made comparable claims of mistreatment.

In the face of criticism, S Jaishankar, the External Affairs Minister, previously stated that the central government is liaising with the US to guarantee that deportees are not subjected to ill-treatment. He further highlighted that the deportation of illegal immigrants by the US is not a recent issue, but a practice that has been in place for years.

During his recent visit to the US, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that India is prepared to repatriate any of its citizens residing unlawfully in the US. Nonetheless, he underscored the necessity to intensify efforts to eradicate human trafficking.

"Our bigger fight is against that entire ecosystem, and we are confident that President Trump will fully cooperate with India in finishing this ecosystem," he said.

The US Embassy in India emphasised enforcing the country's immigration laws, calling them "critically important to the national security and public safety of the United States".

"It is the policy of the United States to faithfully execute the immigration laws against all inadmissible and removable aliens," an embassy spokesperson was quoted as saying.

After Mexico and El Salvador, India ranks third as the source of undocumented immigrants in the US.

The majority of the deportees from Punjab had previously expressed their desire to relocate to the US in hopes of improving their family's living conditions. Unfortunately, their aspirations were crushed when they were apprehended at the US border and forcibly returned in chains.