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US military plane C-17 carrying 205 deported Indians to land in Punjab's Amritsar? Top updates
A US aircraft is set to land in Amritsar with 205 illegal immigrants, mainly from Punjab. This deportation aligns with Donald Trump's immigration policies.
US deports Indian migrants: A US military aircraft C-17 carrying around 205 illegal immigrants—mostly from Punjab and neighbouring states—is set to land in Amritsar at 9am on Wednesday, The Tribune reported, citing unnamed sources.
The deportation of Indians comes as part of a crackdown on illegal immigration under Donald Trump’s second term as US President. Trump, who took office on January 20, has toughened immigration policies, leading to large-scale deportations. Many of those being sent back had entered the US through illegal routes, spending lakhs of rupees in the process.
Also Read | US embassy's stern message after deporting Indians: ‘Illegal migration not worth the risk’
Punjab NRI affairs minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal expressed disappointment over the United States' decision to deport these people, saying they have contributed to the US economy and should have been granted permanent residency, instead of being deported, news agency PTI reported.
Asked about the reports of the US plane carrying illegal immigrants landing in Amritsar, director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said on Tuesday that the issue was discussed at a meeting, news agency PTI reported.
“The chief minister (Bhagwant Mann) said from the Punjab government's side, we will receive our immigrants and set up counters (for them) there,” the DGP said.
“We are in touch with the Centre. As and when information comes, we will share,” he added.
Bhagwant Mann held a meeting on Tuesday with Punjab Police officers, including commissioners and senior superintendents of police, to discuss various issues, PTI added.
Dhaliwal dubbed the issue of Indians being deported from the US as "very serious".
Bloomberg reported that like several other nations, India is working behind the scenes to appease the Trump administration and avoid the brunt of its trade threats. In the last few weeks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has delivered a series of concessions to the White House on issues core to Trump’s agenda. Modi is expected to meet Trump in Washington next week.
The ministry of external affairs did not offer an immediate comment, Bloomberg reported. Earlier, it reported that India was willing to take back 18,000 undocumented Indian migrants from the US.
While the total number of undocumented Indian migrants in the US isn’t certain, a report published last year by the Department of Homeland Security pegged the number at around 220,000 as of 2022.
In his first weeks in office, Trump has urged federal and local authorities to ramp up detention and deportations of undocumented migrants, deployed the US military to the southern border and carried out deportation flights.
