US Has Deported Over 15,500 Indians Since 2009, Jaishankar Tells Rajya Sabha

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told the Rajya Sabha on Thursday (6 February) that the deportation of illegal migrants by the United States is not a recent occurrence but has been ongoing for years.

His statement came amid opposition criticism over the treatment of deportees by Washington DC.

Jaishankar, who addressed the Rajya Sabha after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, noted that hundreds of Indians are deported from the US each year for illegal entry or overstaying.

According to the data shared by Jaishankar, over 15,500 Indian nationals have been deported from the US since 2009.

"It is in our collective interest to encourage legal mobility and discourage illegal movement (and) it is the obligation of all countries to take back their nationals if they are found to be living illegally abroad," he said, NDTV reported.

"The process of deportation (by the US) is, therefore, not new... it has been there for years. This is not a policy applicable to only one country. Our focus should be on crackdown on illegal migrants," he said.

He added that India is engaging with US to ensure deportees are not mistreated.

He clarified that women and children had not been restrained by US authorities and that "needs of deportees, related to food and other necessities, including possible medical emergencies" were attended to.

Videos shared earlier in the day by US Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks on X showed Indian deportees being handcuffed, shackled, and escorted onto a C-17 military transport aircraft.

They were then secured in their seats before being flown to Amritsar.

The Trump administration has increasingly involved the military in its immigration policies, deploying military aircraft for deportations and repurposing bases to accommodate migrants.

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