18,000 Indians at risk of being deported from US under Trump's watch

President-elect Trump intensifies immigration enforcement as ICE reports nearly 18,000 undocumented Indians among 1.45 million facing deportation.

President-elect Donald Trump is set to take office next month, and his administration is already intensifying efforts to enforce stricter immigration policies.

Donald Trump's incoming administration focuses on stricter immigration policies. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) (AP)

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has released data revealing that nearly 18,000 undocumented Indians are among the 1.45 million individuals facing deportation from the United States. “Deportation of undocumented immigrants is central to Trump’s border security agenda,” ICE lauded.

ICE data published in November 2024 cites that 17,940 Indians are listed on the agency’s non-detained docket. This includes individuals with final orders of removal who are not in ICE custody but are awaiting deportation. Many undocumented Indians have found themselves entangled in a complex and lengthy legal process, with some waiting up to three years for their cases to be heard.

India ranks 13th in Asia for undocumented immigrants in the US, says ICE

Notably, the report also names India as one of 15 nations designated as “uncooperative” in the deportation process., and they are seeking appropriate steps now. “Conducting interviews, issuing travel documents in a timely manner, and accepting the physical return of their nationals by scheduled commercial or charter flights consistent with ICE and/or foreign government removal guidelines,” ICE docu cites.

Alarmingly, the past three years have seen an average of 90,000 Indian nationals apprehended at the US border for attempting to enter the country illegally. Experts note that a lion's paw portion of these migrants is coming from Indian states such as Punjab, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh.

The ICE report stressed that most undocumented immigrants in the US hail from countries closer to its borders. Honduras tops the list with 261,000 undocumented individuals, followed by Guatemala with 253,000.

In Asia, China leads with 37,908 undocumented immigrants, while India ranks 13th overall with 17,940 individuals.