Washington, USA: Authorities in Amritsar have not yet confirmed reports of an impending arrival, but the news has sparked widespread discussion across Punjab as details continue to emerge.
The United States, under President Donald Trump’s administration, has intensified its crackdown on illegal immigration. A U.S. military C-17 aircraft, transporting Indian nationals deported from the U.S., is scheduled to land in Amritsar on February 5, according to a U.S. official.
Nancy Youssef, a Washington, DC-based reporter for The Wall Street Journal, shared details on X. Citing U.S. defense officials, she wrote, "A U.S. military C-17 carrying dozens of migrants who entered the country illegally took off earlier today, bound for Amritsar, India. Defense officials confirmed that this marks the first such flight beyond the Western Hemisphere. The aircraft will make a stop in Guam before reaching its scheduled destination in Amritsar on February 5, local time."
Despite the lack of official confirmation from local authorities in Amritsar, the development has fueled media speculation and public discourse in Punjab.
The Trump administration has increasingly involved the military in immigration enforcement, leading to expectations of further deportations of Indian nationals in the coming days. Besides India, the U.S. has also repatriated individuals to Guatemala, Peru, and Honduras via similar deportation flights.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs has reiterated its commitment to accepting Indian nationals residing illegally in the U.S. and other countries. Many Indians, particularly from Punjab, Haryana, and Gujarat, have entered the U.S. through unauthorized routes, often traveling via Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras. However, these migration patterns have significantly declined since Trump took office.
The U.S. government has ramped up its immigration enforcement measures, arranging special deportation flights to send back thousands of Indians detained in Texas and California.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently discussed the issue of "irregular immigration" with Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar. Addressing the matter, Jaishankar emphasized that India firmly opposes illegal immigration to the U.S.
"Illegal immigration is linked to various unlawful activities, and it does not reflect well on our country. It is neither advantageous nor in our best interest. If any Indian nationals are residing abroad illegally and we can verify their citizenship, we are fully prepared to repatriate them to India," Jaishankar stated.
According to recent data, the U.S. has deported over 1,100 Indian nationals between October 2023 and September 2024.
