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Last Updated:February 04, 2025, 11:36 IST
As many as 205 Indian migrants are being deported from the US as part of Trump's intensified immigration crackdown. Homeland Security has also moved to end deportation protections for Venezuelans.
US Marine pilots and border patrol agents (Photo: AP)
A United States military flight carrying 205 illegal Indian migrants departed from San Antonio for Punjab’s Amritsar on Monday as the US began deporting Indian migrants back to the country.
News agency Reuters quoted an official as saying that the C-17 aircraft had departed for India with migrants aboard but would not arrive for at least 24 hours.
This is the farthest destination of the Trump administration’s military transport flights for migrants, the report claimed.
Commenting on the development, a spokesperson of the US embassy said, “All I’ve received is a number of inquires on reporting of a deportation flight to India. I can’t share any details on those inquiries, but I can share, on the record, that 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 Pentagon has also started providing flights to deport more than 5,000 immigrants held by US authorities in El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California.
So far, military aircraft have flown migrants to Guatemala, Peru and Honduras.
On Wednesday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that the Indian government is open to the legitimate return of Indians who have been illegally staying in other countries, including the United States.
The EAM represented India as the Special Envoy to the PM and participated in the first Quad meeting held after Donald Trump took oath as the country’s 47th president.
He also cautioned the public about the number of 18,000 Indians reportedly living illegally in the US.
TRUMP MOVES TO END DEPORTATION PROTECTIONS
On Monday, US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem moved to remove protection against deportation from hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans in the US, part of President Donald Trump’s expanding immigration crackdown.
The decision means about 348,000 Venezuelans with Temporary Protected Status, more than half of all Venezuelans in the program, could be deported and lose work permits in April, according to a government notice, Reuters stated.
The notice said the protections were contrary to US interests and no longer justified by conditions in Venezuela.
Trump, vowing to crack down on illegal immigration and humanitarian programs, says go beyond the intent of US law. He tried to end most enrollment in the temporary protection program during his first term but was stymied by federal courts.
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Location : First Published:February 04, 2025, 07:48 IST
News world US Military Plane With 205 Indians Leaves For Amritsar Amid Trump's Immigration Crackdown: Report
