A US military plane is deporting migrants to India, marking President Donald Trump's first crackdown on Indian immigrants after assuming office, Reuters reported quoting an official on Monday.
The official confirmed that a C-17 aircraft carrying migrants had departed for India but is not expected to arrive for at least 24 hours.
The US embassy spokesperson denied providing any information on the matter but added that the country was "vigorously enforcing its border, tightening immigration laws, and removing illegal migrants."
"I have received a number of inquiries on reporting of a deportation flight to India. I can’t share any details on those inquiries, but I can share, on the record, that the United States is vigorously enforcing its border, tightening immigration laws, and removing illegal migrants. These actions send a clear message: illegal migration is not worth the risk," the spokesperson said.
The Pentagon has begun deporting over 5,000 immigrants detained in El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California, using military flights. So far, the military aircraft have transported migrants to Guatemala, Peru, and Honduras.
Also read: PM Modi set to travel to US, meet Donald Trump on February 13Military deportation flights come at a high cost, with a recent flight to Guatemala estimated to have cost at least $4,675 per migrant, according to a Reuters report.
The Indian government has signaled its willingness to cooperate with the Trump administration in identifying and repatriating its citizens residing illegally in the US, aiming to maintain strong ties and avoid a trade conflict.
"We are against illegal immigration, especially because it is linked to several forms of organised crime," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said last month.
"For Indians not just in the United States, but anywhere in the world, if they are Indian nationals and they are overstaying, or they are in a particular country without proper documentation, we will take them back, provided documents are shared with us so that we can verify their nationality and that they are indeed Indians. If that happens to be the case, we will take things forward and facilitate their return to India," he added.
Also read: Trump's USAID funds freeze set to hit India health, education projects hardAccording to sources familiar with the matter, both nations have identified approximately 18,000 illegal Indian migrants for deportation, though the actual number could be significantly higher, as the total remains uncertain, Bloomberg had reported last month.
India accounts for a relatively small share of illegal migration to the US, with its citizens making up about 3% of all unlawful crossings in fiscal 2024, according to US customs and border protection data.
In contrast, Latin American nations like Mexico, Venezuela, and Guatemala contribute a much larger portion. However, the number of Indian illegal migrants has been steadily increasing, particularly at the northern US border, where they now represent nearly a quarter of all illegal crossings—the highest among migrants stopped at that entry point.
Also read: 'We will take them back,' MEA on Indians staying illegally in US as Donald Trump begins crackdown While the exact total remains uncertain, a 2022 department of homeland security report estimated that approximately 2,20,000 unauthorized Indian immigrants were residing in the US.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to pay a two-day visit to the US and meet Trump starting February 12.
(With inputs from agencies)
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