New Delhi: A flight carrying 119 Indian nationals, who were living illegally in the United States, is set to land at Amritsar Airport on Saturday, February 15, sources said. The flight will arrive at Amritsar International Airport on Saturday night, they added.
Of the 119 passengers, 67 are from Punjab, 33 from Haryana, 8 from Gujarat, 3 from Uttar Pradesh, 2 from Maharashtra, 2 from Rajasthan, and one each from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Apart from that, 2 passengers are from Goa. This comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US for talks with President Donald Trump, who took office on January 20. An official, speaking anonymously, said that the deportees had entered the US illegally through the Mexico border and other routes, after which they destroyed their passports.
Second deportee group to arrive
This is the second group of deportees sent back to India since Trump’s presidency began. The first group arrived on February 5 at Amritsar, consisting of 104 Indians, who were handcuffed and shackled, sparking nationwide outrage. The incident led India to express its concerns over the treatment of deportees, following widespread criticism in the country.
During a media briefing at the White House, PM Modi spoke of the need to combat human trafficking, which he said lures people from ordinary families with false promises of better opportunities, leading them to become illegal immigrants. He said that India is prepared to take back any verified Indian citizens living illegally in the US, stressing the importance of dialogue to address this issue. Modi said that these people, who are often misled, come from humble backgrounds and deserve support in overcoming the exploitation of human trafficking.
1,700 Indians arrested since 2022
According to US Customs and Border Protection (USCBP), about 1,700 Indians were arrested between 2022 and November 2024. In 2022, 409 were intercepted; in 2023, 730; and in 2024, 517, including 42 minors. A 2022 Pew Research Center estimate reported that around 725,000 unauthorised Indian immigrants were living in the US.
