A US military plane carrying 205 undocumented Indian migrants has departed for Amritsar, Punjab, as part of a large-scale deportation effort by the Trump administration, sources revealed. The C-17 aircraft left from San Antonio and is expected to stop in Ramstein, Germany, for refueling before reaching India.
While the US Embassy did not confirm the deportation, a spokesperson emphasized the administration’s strict immigration enforcement, stating that illegal migration “is not worth the risk.” Trump had earlier pledged the largest deportation in US history, with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) identifying 18,000 undocumented Indian nationals among the 1.5 million people targeted for removal. It remains unclear how many migrants were on this particular flight.
According to the Pew Research Center, about 725,000 Indian nationals live in the US without legal status, making them the third-largest group of undocumented immigrants after Mexico and El Salvador. Many face daily uncertainty and fear of deportation.
Last month, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar confirmed that the government is verifying the identities of Indian nationals subject to deportation. He reiterated that India has always been open to accepting its citizens who are illegally residing abroad, provided their identities are confirmed.
Trump recently expressed confidence that Prime Minister Narendra Modi “will do what’s right” regarding the return of Indian migrants. His statement followed a phone call between the two leaders, where they discussed multiple issues, including immigration.
The US has also expanded its use of military aircraft for deportations, transporting over 5,000 migrants from detention centers in Texas and California to countries like Guatemala, Peru, and Honduras.