 "Shattered dreams: Families took loans, sold land and cattle to send loved ones abroad")
The families of a second group of Indian illegal immigrants being deported from the US are reeling in shock with many revealing they had mortgaged farmland and sold cattle to fund their relatives’ journeys abroad in hopes of a better future.
A flight carrying 119 illegal immigrants is set to arrive at Amritsar airport on Saturday, marking the second batch of Indians deported under the Trump administration’s intensified crackdown on illegal migration.
A family member of one of the illegal Indian immigrants deported by the US, told ANI, “…He reached the US on 27th January…They sold their land…They are staying at their relative’s house…We have spent Rs 50-55 lakhs…”
#WATCH | Amritsar, Punjab: A family member of one of the illegal Indian immigrants deported by the US, says, "...He reached the US on 27th January...They sold their land...They are staying at their relative's house...We have spent Rs 50-55 lakhs..." pic.twitter.com/uFn4y38dI6
— ANI (@ANI) February 15, 2025
The plane is expected to land at the airport late in the evening, official sources said. Of the 119 deportees, 100 are from Punjab and Haryana.
While 67 are from Punjab, 33 are from Haryana, eight from Gujarat, three from Uttar Pradesh, two each from Goa, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, and one each is from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
The family of Daljit Singh, a resident of Kurala Kalan village in the Tanda area of Hoshiarpur district, said a travel agent had duped them.
Kamalpreet Kaur, the wife of Daljit, alleged that her husband was deceived by the travel agent who promised him a direct flight to the US but instead, took him via the ”donkey route” – an illegal and risky pathway used by migrants to enter America.
She said a man from their village had arranged for the travel agent to facilitate her husband’s journey. The agent assured them of a legal process but later, Daljit was taken through multiple locations, raising suspicions about the legitimacy of his travel.
Kaur said she was unsure if her husband had actually reached the US.
The travel agent had informed her that Daljit (38) had reached the US, but she had not heard from him directly, she said.
The last time she spoke to her husband was about a month ago, when he told her that he was on the way to the US.
She said her husband had asked her to transfer the power of attorney for four-five acres of their family land in the name of some villager at the behest of the agent or else, he would be stranded.
She accordingly transferred the land to the name of the said person.
She said the deal to send her husband to the US was struck for Rs 40-45 lakh. She said she was unaware of her husband’s deportation until she learned about it through media reports.
Kaur, who lives with her father-in-law, two sons and a daughter, requested the government to help her reclaim the family land and take strict action against fraudulent travel agents.
Sohajvir Singh (21), hailing from Gajewas village in Patiala’s Samana, is also among the deportees.
His mother was in tears when she came to know about the deportation of her son.
She said the family spent Rs 60 lakh to send him to the US and raised a loan for the same by pledging their land and cattle.
Sohajvir, who studied till Class 12, had earlier made unsuccessful attempts to migrate to Australia, Canada and Italy.
Sukhchain Singh (29), who belongs to Thatha village in Tarn Taran district, is also among the deportees from Punjab. His family members said he reached the US border on January 26 and thereafter, they had no contact with him.
Sukhchain’s wife said they came to know about his deportation through a list that they got only on Saturday.
She said her husband had gone to the United Kingdom two-and-a-half-years ago. ”Thereafter, he decided to go to the US,” she said.
The family had spent Rs 22 lakh for sending him to the UK and then, Rs 20 lakh for his trip to the US.
”We demand action against the travel agent. We also demand a government job for my husband,” she said.
Sukhchain’s family members said they sent him abroad by selling more than an acre of agricultural land.
The family members of Gurmeet Singh (36), a resident of Talania village in Fatehgarh Sahib district, said the state government should take action against unscrupulous agents who send people abroad through the ”donkey route”. They also demanded a job for Gurmeet, who wanted to migrate to the US for a better life.
The family members of Sahilpreet Singh (21), a resident of Behbal Bahadur village in Kapurthala’s Sultanpur Lodhi, said they spent Rs 45 lakh to send him to the US. They said Sahilpreet left for the US only about a month and a half ago.
After the first batch of illegal immigrants was sent back on February 5, most of the deportees hailing from Punjab had said they wanted to migrate 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.
Many people from Punjab and other states, who entered the US through the ”donkey route”, are now facing deportation.
With inputs from PTI
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