Shackles, handcuffs made us feel like hardcore criminals: Lovepreet
The Bholath resident had left on January 2, along with her 10-year-old son, after paying agents ₹1.05 crore with a promise to enter the US and be reunited with her husband there
Handcuffed and shackled, Lovepreet Kaur felt like a hardcore criminal onboard her deportation fight to India.
She had left Bholath in Kapurthala district on January 2, along with her 10-year-old son, after paying agents ₹1.05 crore with a promise to enter the US and be reunited with her husband there. She was caught by the US border patrol on January 27 and deported. In the course of 25 days, she and her son crisscrossed through Dubai and Latin America (El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico) in an attempt to reunite with her husband, who has been in the US for the past few years.
“We were treated as if we were some sort of hardcore criminals. Handcuffed and chained we were not allowed to move in the plane or interact with fellow deportees. The chains along the waist and feet were not removed even when the passengers asked to use the toilet. We were made to sit face-to-face and were not allowed to have any sort of conversation with anyone throughout the flight,” Lovepreet said.
She added that the authorities asked her to remove her earrings, other ornaments and even shoe laces. “We were asked to deposit our mobile phones sim cards after we were arrested at the US-Mexico border. The authorities only handed back our passports,” she said.
A video shared by the chief of the US Border Patrol Michael W Banks on his X account validates the deportees’ claims that they were handcuffed and shackled. Banks writes: “USBP and partners successfully returned illegal aliens to India, marking the farthest deportation flight yet using military transport. This mission underscores our commitment to enforcing immigration laws and ensuring swift removals. If you cross illegally, you will be removed”.
She added that following their detention, the US authorities didn’t share any information with them.
“All the deportees were handcuffed before we boarded the plane. We had no information regarding our final destination. It was only after our plane landed in Amritsar that we came to know that we had reached India. On our arrival, we were informed that we were deported for five years,” Lovepreet said adding that this was her third attempt to enter the US.
“I want the government to take stringent action against the travel agent for duping us,” she added sitting with her son who looked visibly shaken and upset.