New Delhi, India – A US military aircraft is bringing back more than 200 Indians deported from the US, according to a media report on Tuesday.
Local broadcaster NDTV, citing sources, reported that a US C-17 military aircraft is returning the Indian nationals and that ‘each deported Indian national is verified, indicating New Delhi’s involvement in the deportation process’.
“This is likely the first of many such flights that will bring illegal Indian immigrants in the US back,” the report said.
The Indian Foreign Ministry has yet to issue a statement on the matter.
Since US President Donald Trump took office, the US has conducted several military flights – to Guatemala, Honduras, and Ecuador – to return illegal immigrants to their respective countries.
The US president has said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured him that India ‘will do what’s right’ regarding the deportation of illegal Indian migrants.
Last month, the Indian Foreign Ministry said the South Asian nation ‘is firmly opposed to illegal migration, especially as it is linked to other forms of organised crime’.
“As part of India-US migration and mobility cooperation, both sides are engaged in a process to deter illegal migration, while also creating more avenues for legal migration from India to the US,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said on January 31.
However, he added that the Indian government ‘would need to do the required verification, including nationality of the concerned individuals before they are deported to India’.
Additionally, the Pentagon has begun providing flights to deport over 5,000 immigrants held in US facilities in El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California.
Military flights are a costly way to transport migrants. According to Reuters, a military deportation flight to Guatemala last week likely cost at least US$4,675 per migrant, Reuters reported.
White House Press Secretary had announced on January 24 that ‘the largest massive deportation operation in history is well underway’.
Sharing a post on X, Karoline Leavitt said: “The Trump Administration also deported hundreds of illegal immigrant criminals via military aircraft. The largest massive deportation operation in history is well underway. Promises made. Promises kept.”
In another post, she said: “The Trump Administration arrested 538 illegal immigrant criminals including a suspected terrorist, four members of the Tren de Aragua gang, and several illegals convicted of sex crimes against minors. Deportation flights have begun. President Trump is sending a strong and clear message to the entire world: if you illegally enter the United States of America, you will face severe consequences.”
‘Not worth the risk’
Following the reports of deporting migrants to India, a US Embassy spokesperson said that while specific details cannot be shared, ‘illegal migration is not worth the risk’.
“I have received a number of inquiries on the report 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.
Agencies
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