In a significant deportation move, a US military aircraft carrying 205 Indian nationals who had illegally entered the United States has departed from Texas and is en route to India. Sources confirm that each deportee has been verified, indicating close coordination between New Delhi and Washington in the repatriation process.
A C-17 US military aircraft is being used for the deportation, a rare instance of military planes being deployed for such purposes. The aircraft, unless specially modified, has only one toilet for 205 passengers, making the journey notably challenging.
This deportation aligns with US President Donald Trump’s stringent immigration policies aimed at cracking down on illegal migrants. The US has previously deported illegal immigrants to Guatemala, Peru, and Honduras using similar measures. Trump recently emphasized that illegal migrants are now being directly flown back to their home countries on military aircraft, marking a first in US history.
The deportation comes just ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to the US next week, his first since Trump’s re-election. External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar had earlier stated that India is open to facilitating the return of its nationals living illegally abroad, provided their Indian nationality is verified.
Trump has also claimed that Modi assured him India "will do what’s right" in taking back its illegal immigrants. A Bloomberg report estimates that around 18,000 Indian nationals who entered the US illegally have been identified for deportation.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs reaffirmed its stance against illegal immigration, citing links to organized crime. A US Embassy spokesperson in New Delhi stated that strict immigration enforcement would continue, warning that "illegal migration is not worth the risk."
Comments (0)