A C-17 military aircraft transporting 205 illegal Indian migrants has left the United States and has been reported that the aircraft will land in Amritsar, Punjab. Confirmed reports from The Logical Indian, India Today, and News18 have informed that it took off on Tuesday from San Antonio, Texas, and is expected to reach India within 24 hours.
This is the first mass deportation of Indian nationals from the US since President Donald Trump took office on January 20. A video of the flight’s departure has already surfaced online.
🚨 Over 200 Indian nationals have been deported by a C-17 aircraft from the US. pic.twitter.com/C3picWpoHH
— Indian Tech & Infra (@IndianTechGuide) February 4, 2025
Illegal Indian Migrants Deported from the US
A US official said that the military aircraft is deporting Indian migrants, making it the farthest deportation flight undertaken by the Trump administration.
“The aircraft took off for India with migrants on board but will not reach the destination at least 24 hours from now,” an official source said. This flight is part of a larger effort to tighten immigration policies and remove individuals residing in the US without proper documentation.
US Expands Deportation Efforts to Other Countries
The Pentagon has also begun to use military aircraft to deport more than 5,000 migrants from detention centers in El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California. Reuters said earlier deportation flights took migrants to Guatemala, Peru, and Honduras.
#अवैध_भारतीय_प्रवासी_बेदखल
अमरीका में अवैध रूप से बसे भारतीयों को बेदखल (डिपोर्ट) करने का सिलसिला शुरू हो गया है।आज अमेरिकी सेना का विमान C- 17 बड़ी संख्या में ऐसे लोगों को लेकर अमेरिका से रवाना हो चुका है। अगले चौबीस घंटे में ये विमान भारत पहुंच सकता है।
डोनाल्ड ट्रंप प्रशासन… pic.twitter.com/9C5S0Mu6J6
— Dr.Rakesh Pathak डॉ. राकेश पाठक راکیش (@DrRakeshPathak7) February 4, 2025
As of this date, the Indian government has not make any official statements about reports of the most recent deportation. On January 24, though, the MEA renewed its statement to the effect that it would allow Indian nationals who “overstay” or are living without proper documents in the United States or “anywhere around world.”
Number of Undocumented Indian Immigrants in the US
Sources quoted by Bloomberg indicate that both India and the US have identified around 18,000 Indian nationals for deportation. Still, the actual number of Indian undocumented migrants may be much more.
Indian citizens make up around 3% of all illegal crossings into the US in fiscal year 2024, based on US Customs and Border Protection data, The Times of India reported.
US Embassy Warns Against Illegal Migration
According to a US Embassy spokesperson, “The country has been enforcing the immigration laws sternly and it warns against illegal migration.”
“I have received a number of queries on the report of a deportation flight to India. I can’t comment on those queries, but I can comment, on the record, that the United States is strongly enforcing its border, tightening immigration laws, and removing illegal migrants. These steps send a very clear message, illegal migration is not worth the risk,” the spokesperson said to ANI.
Military Flights: An Elaborate Process of Deportation
It is an expensive method to use military aircraft for deportation. According to Reuters, a similar deportation flight to Guatemala last week cost roughly $4,675 per migrant.
The President Donald Trump is widely depending on the military to enforce his immigration policies. His administration has moved in extra troops to the US-Mexico border and has used military aircrafts for deportations. The government has even repurposed some military bases to house detained migrants.
Implications for US-India Relations
It comes at a time when the US and India are strengthening diplomatic and trade ties. India has yet to comment on this specific case, but the ongoing deportation process could become a key discussion point between the two nations in future bilateral engagements.
Thousands of undocumented Indians in the US still face uncertain fates as the Trump administration pursues strict immigration policies, but one C-17 aircraft is carrying Indian migrants to Amritsar.