A US military aircraft carrying deported Indian immigrants landed at Shri Guru Ramdas Ji International Airport in Amritsar this afternoon. The flight, originating from San Antonio, Texas, marks the first deportation under Donald Trump’s second presidential term.
As word of the deportation spread on social media, pictures began to emerge of people Handcuffs and foot, outraging people everywhere. Many users even went so far as to say that the photos were of Indians being flown out of the United States.
Social Media Outrage Over Handcuffs Images
A series of photographs showing men with handcuffs wrists and ankles shackled triggered backlash online. One widely shared image showed detainees seated in rows, their faces partially obscured by masks, while another depicted men walking with their hands cuffed behind their backs.
A social media post on X read: “Handcuffed and chained by the legs, Indians are returning to Amrit Kaal. I have never seen this sight ever!” A user expressed annoyance saying, “Indians clearly are treated here like prisoners while they are not only handcuffed but also leg cuffed while they are being deported from USA by Trump.”
Handcuffed and chained by the legs and hands, Indians are returning to “Amrit Kaal”. pic.twitter.com/t5lkZ8O22V
— Rishav Koner (@rishavkoner) February 5, 2025
Truth Behind Viral Images
However, a reverse image search by HT.com found these pictures to be misleading in that they do not reflect the scenario of India bringing deportees into Amritsar but rather migrants deported from the US to Guatemala on January 30.
The Associated Press published the images five days ago, captioned: “U.S. Air Force jet with migrants bound at their wrists and ankles departed Texas for Guatemala on Thursday, carrying 80 deportees in another deportation flight that reflects a growing role for the armed forces in helping enforce immigration laws.
AP further reported, “The Trump administration has used military aircraft to deport people to Guatemala, Ecuador, and Colombia, a departure from U.S. policies.”
While the deportation of Indian immigrants is confirmed, the viral images wrongly link the recent Amritsar-bound flight to previous deportation operations. This incident highlights the need for fact-checking in the age of viral misinformation.
Indian Deported Belong to 5 States
According the reports, the deported Indian nationals which are carried from C-17 Military Plane from United States are from Haryana, Gujarat, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Chandigarh.
The highest number of deportees 33 each are from Gujarat and Haryana, followed by 30 from Punjab. Two passengers each are from Uttar Pradesh and Chandigarh, while three are from Maharashtra.