The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) carried out a “large-scale deportation flight” to India to deport Indian nationals who were staying illegally in the United States of America (USA).

This process was carried out through the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and in cooperation with the Indian government to deter irregular migration and jointly combat human trafficking.

“Indian nationals without a legal basis to remain in the United States are likely to be quickly deported, and future migrants should not fall for the lies of smugglers who claim otherwise.” said senior official serving as Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Kristie A Canegallo, in a DHS statement.

“The Department of Homeland Security will continue to enforce the laws of our country,” Canegallo added.

“DHS continues to enforce U.S. immigration laws and impose harsh consequences on those who enter illegally. This includes the prompt return of those who do not have a legal basis to remain in the United States, while by encouraging the use of legal channels,” the ministry said in the statement.

Since June 2024, DHS has removed or removed more than 160,000 individuals and operated more than 495 international repatriation flights to more than 145 countries, including India.

It says the department regularly engages with foreign governments across the hemisphere and around the world to accept the repatriation of their nationals without a legal basis to remain in the United States.

Over the past year, DHS has deported individuals from various countries around the world, including Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Egypt, Mauritania, Senegal, Uzbekistan, China, and India.

The statement further states that “this is one of many tools used by DHS to reduce irregular migration, promote the use of safe, legal, and orderly pathways, and hold transnational criminal networks accountable for illicit trafficking and exploitation of vulnerable people.

According to Pew Research Center estimates, illegal Indian immigrants in the United States form the third largest population of illegal immigrants after Mexico and El Salvador. There were an estimated 725,000 illegal Indian immigrants in the United States in 2021.

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