In a historic move, a U.S. military plane deported over 100 individuals to India, marking a significant escalation in the Trump administration's immigration policy. Indian officials express willingness to accept deportees, but local leaders criticize the harsh stance.
U.S. Military Deports First Migrants to India Amid Growing Tensions
U.S. Military Deports First Migrants to India Amid Growing Tensions
An U.S. military aircraft has conducted its first-ever deportation flight to India, raising concerns over the treatment of migrants as tensions over immigration policies deepen.
In a landmark action, an American military aircraft recently transported at least 100 individuals back to India, signaling the first military deportation flight to this destination and highlighting the Trump administration's escalating immigration strategy. This operation marks a significant shift, as it is reportedly the longest deportation flight since Donald Trump took office.
India, recognized as a primary source of unauthorized immigration to the U.S., has seen over 25,000 Indian nationals apprehended while attempting to cross the southern border illegally within the past year. The previous year alone accounted for over 1,000 deportations conducted through commercial flights.
While the Indian government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has expressed a readiness to accept the deportees, voices of dissent are emerging. Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, a minister from Punjab where the flight landed, criticized Trump's stringent immigration measures, advocating for greater resistance from the Indian authorities. "The Indian federal government must take this very seriously,” he stated, emphasizing the humanitarian implications of the deportations.
Mr. Dhaliwal also pledged to personally oversee the reception of the deportees at the airport, ensuring their treatment as individuals deserving of dignity rather than criminals. According to the Pew Research Center, an estimated 700,000 undocumented Indian immigrants resided in the U.S. as of 2022, trailing only behind Mexico and El Salvador in numbers. Recent reports indicate that nearly 20,000 migrants are on the verge of deportation.
The new wave of Indian migrants has been characterized by their increasing attempts to enter the U.S. illegally via Mexico, amidst broader concerns over immigration enforcement policies and issues surrounding the treatment of such returnees.
