In a significant step towards enforcing stricter immigration policies, the United States has deported illegal Indian migrants using a military transport aircraft for the first time under President Donald Trump’s administration. A C-17 military aircraft carrying migrants departed for India late Monday, marking a shift in the US’s approach to handling illegal immigration.
According to a US official who spoke to Reuters, the flight will take over 24 hours to reach India. However, the exact number of deported migrants remains undisclosed. A C-17 aircraft has a maximum capacity of 130 passengers.
A spokesperson from the US embassy declined to provide further details but stated:
“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.”
Trump’s Immigration Crackdown Expands
This deportation is part of Trump’s broader immigration enforcement strategy. The Pentagon has used military aircraft to deport over 5,000 migrants from detention centers in El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California. So far, military transport flights have sent deportees to Guatemala, Peru, and Honduras—with India now being the farthest destination.
Trump has increasingly deployed military resources to support his immigration agenda, including:
Sending additional troops to the US-Mexico border
Using military aircraft for deportations
Setting up military bases to house detained migrants
Earlier, Colombian President Gustavo Petro initially refused to allow US military planes carrying deported Colombians to land but later agreed after Trump threatened economic sanctions.
Steady Increase in Deportations of Indians
Between October 2023 and September 2024, the US deported over 1,100 illegal Indian migrants, according to an American official. The last confirmed deportation flight to India was on October 22, 2024, when 100 Indian migrants were repatriated on a chartered plane.
Reports indicate a “steady increase” in the deportation of Indians from the US in recent years. Official figures from the US Department of Homeland Security estimate that close to 18,000 Indians are residing in the country illegally.
India’s Response to Deportation
While Indian officials have yet to comment on the latest deportation, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had previously stated that India is committed to working with the US to address illegal immigration.
“India opposes illegal immigration due to its links with organized crime. We will take back all Indian citizens who have overstayed in the US or lack proper documentation—after verifying their nationality,” Jaiswal said last month.
While Jaiswal refrained from confirming the exact number of illegal Indian migrants in the US, he assured that India would “facilitate their return” in due course.
This latest deportation flight underscores the Trump administration’s aggressive approach to immigration enforcement and raises questions about the future of undocumented Indians living in the US.