US sends Indian immigrants home on military plane

The deportation comes amid President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration

A US military plane has taken 205 illegal migrants back to India, an American official told Reuters on Monday. This reportedly marks the first time the US has used a military aircraft to deport Indian nationals as the administration of President Donald Trump cracks down on illegal immigration.  

An Air Force C-17 Globemaster aircraft was used to carry the Indians back to their home country. This was the furthest military flight to return migrants since Trump took office., the report claimed. The plane took off from a US Air Force base in San Antonio, Texas, and landed in Amritsar, in the state of Punjab, according to Indian media reports.   

A US embassy spokesperson in New Delhi emphasized that the US is taking a firm stance on unauthorized entry. “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, according to ANI.  

This is not the first time that Indian illegal immigrants have been deported. In October, in a collaborative effort with the Indian government, the US Department of Homeland Security used a charter flight to repatriate Indian nationals who had been residing in the country without proper authorization.   

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This development comes days after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Trump on the phone, and the issue of immigration was discussed. Trump later said at a press conference that “India will do what is right when it comes to taking back illegal immigrants.”   

Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing a White House official, that Modi had been invited to meet Trump next week. The issue of Indian immigrants entering the US “illegally” is going to be “high on the agenda of Trump officials,” according to a source quoted by the Indian outlet ABP.  

Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who recently visited Washington for Trump’s inauguration, met with US officials and emphasized that India is strongly against its citizens engaging in unlawful migration to other countries, including the US. He also expressed India’s willingness to facilitate the “legitimate return” of its citizens to their homeland.