Clear message that illegal migration is not worth the risk: US embassy on India deportation flight

Amid a crackdown by the authorities on illegal immigrants in the United States, the US embassy in New Delhi said that the United States is rigorously tightening immigration laws to stop the influx of undocumented migrants.

The statement came after a US military aircraft departed from Washington carrying illegal immigrants back to India.

This marks the first round of deportation of illegal Indian nationals from the US after Donald Trump took office in the White House following his re-election for a second term.

Both illegal and legal immigration were central issues during the presidential campaign. After assuming the presidency on January 20, Trump promised a strict policy approach to dealing with illegal immigrants residing in the US and has already signed a number of immigration-related executive orders.

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When asked about the deportation flight bringing back a group of illegal migrants to India, a US embassy spokesperson did not provide details but asserted that Washington is committed to removing illegal migrants.

“I can’t share any details on those inquiries, but I can share, on the record, that the United States is vigorously enforcing its borders, tightening immigration laws, and removing illegal migrants,” the official said.

The official emphasised that these actions send a clear message: illegal migration is not worth the risk.

Following his phone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 27, Trump said India “will do what is right” regarding the deportation of illegal migrants from the US.

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Last month, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that it is opposed to illegal immigration and is prepared to take back Indians staying illegally in the US, provided their nationality is verified.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal previously stated that India is ready to take back undocumented migrants and opposes illegal immigration due to its links to various forms of organized crime.

“We will take them back, provided documents are shared with us so that we can verify their nationality and confirm that they are indeed Indians,” he said.

At the same time, Jaiswal stated that it would be “premature” to discuss the number of illegal Indian immigrants currently residing in the US.