On February 5, the first group of 104 Indian deportees had arrived in Amritsar after a nearly 40-hour journey, during which they were handcuffed and had their legs chained chained, sparking nationwide outrage over inhumane treatment by the US.When asked whether India had registered its protest to the US over the mistreatment of its nationals, Misri had earlier said: “It is a valid issue to raise, and we continue to emphasise to the US authorities that there should be no mistreatment of deportees. We will continue to take up any instances of mistreatment that come to our attention. Action needs to be taken across the system against the underlying ecosystem that thrives on promoting illegal immigration.”Of the 104 deportees, 33 each were from Haryana and Gujarat, and 30 were from Punjab. Some of the deportees said they had migrated to the US for a better life for their families. However, their dreams were shattered when they were caught on the US border and sent back in shackles.Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday questioned the move to land another plane at the Amritsar airport, as he accused the Centre of trying to defame Punjab as part of a conspiracy.”The BJP-led Centre always discriminates against Punjab. It does not let go of any chance of defaming the state,” Mann said while addressing the media in Amritsar on Friday evening.”As part of a conspiracy, they are trying to defame Punjab and Punjabis,” he said.Mann also asked the Centre under which criteria the Amritsar airport was chosen to land the second aircraft.”What is the criterion for choosing Amritsar? The Centre and the Ministry of External Affairs should tell me. Why did you choose Amritsar and not the national capital? You did this to defame Punjab and Punjabis,” Mann said.Noting that deportation is a national issue, Mann said it is being made to appear that only Punjabis migrate illegally.Many people from Punjab and other states, who entered the US through “donkey routes”—an illegal and risky pathway used by migrants to enter America or other illegal means by spending lakhs of rupees—are now facing deportation.Data from the Pew Research Center estimates that approximately 725,000 illegal immigrants from India live in the US, making it the third-largest group of unauthorised immigrants after Mexico and El Salvador.According to US Customs and Border Protection (USCBP), about 1,700 Indians were apprehended between 2022 and November 2024.In 2022, 409 were intercepted, 730 in 2023, and 517 in 2024 until November, including 42 minors.The mass deportations are a key part of the Trump administration’s broader immigration policy, which has focused on stricter enforcement and the removal of undocumented individuals.
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