With US President-elect Donald Trump set to take office next month, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has prepared a list of individuals for deportation. Among those identified are nearly 18,000 undocumented Indians who may be sent back to India.
According to ICE data as of November 2024, 17,940 Indians are listed among the 1.445 million individuals on the non-detained docket with final removal orders. Previous reports have highlighted the challenges faced by undocumented Indians in legalizing their status, with many waiting years for clearance or court hearings that are scheduled several years into the future. Alarmingly, an average of 90,000 Indians have been caught attempting to cross US borders illegally over the past three financial years. Immigration experts suggest that a significant number of undocumented Indians in the US hail from Punjab, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh.
ICE data also reveals that Honduras tops the deportation list with 261,000 undocumented individuals, followed by Guatemala with 253,000. Meanwhile, China has 37,908 undocumented individuals living in the US, surpassing India's total. India is ranked 13th on a list of 208 nations with undocumented populations in the US. Excluding India and China, the top-ranking countries are geographically closer to the US or share land and sea borders.
The ICE report categorizes India as "uncooperative" due to delays in confirming citizenship and processing deportations, complicating the repatriation process. Diplomatic efforts are underway to address these challenges as part of a broader enforcement strategy. ICE expects foreign governments to confirm citizenship, issue travel documents promptly, and facilitate the return of nationals in alignment with removal guidelines. Countries that fail to comply may be labeled as uncooperative. Currently, 15 nations, including India, Pakistan, China, Russia, and Venezuela, are considered uncooperative by ICE.
President-elect Trump has reaffirmed his focus on stricter immigration enforcement, with deporting undocumented individuals being a key component of his border security strategy. His administration aims to expedite deportations for those with final removal orders, a group that includes thousands of Indians
