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US Customs and Border Protection recorded a 62% decline in the number of Indian nationals intercepted for illegal entry between October last year and this September. The figure stood at 34,146 for the period, down from 90,415 detentions during the previous fiscal year. This marks the steepest drop in such cases over the past four years.
Data released on October 28 shows that Indian nationals now form a much smaller share of total border detentions compared with earlier years, reported TOI. In September, the final month of the US fiscal year, authorities intercepted 1,147 Indians. In FY22, the figure had reached 63,927, making the latest data 47% lower.
According to the report, total “encounters” at US borders stood at 2.9 million in FY2024, lower than the 3.2 million recorded in 2023 but slightly above the 2.7 million in 2022. Of those intercepted in FY25, 31,480 were single adults, while authorities detained 2,552 family units, 91 unaccompanied children, and 23 minors travelling with adults.
Smuggling slowdown and shifting migration trends
Immigration agents operating in north and central Gujarat, known for facilitating “dunki routes”, appear to have slowed their activities as families reconsider risks following the deaths of Indian migrants from Dingucha along the US–Canada border in 2022 and another near the Rio Grande in 2023.
Officials described the presence of minors at borders as an “ongoing humanitarian concern”. The 91 unaccompanied children intercepted in FY25 highlight continuing efforts by families to rely on smuggling networks, hoping for lenient treatment by US authorities.
Migration researchers noted that the trend reflects both geopolitical enforcement changes and shifting aspirations. A senior immigration official stated that the “American route is still viewed as a life-changing gamble”, adding that the decline in numbers does not indicate waning desire but rather a clearer understanding of the risks and rising costs.
Officials attributed the fall in detentions to stricter border enforcement, greater awareness of migration dangers in states such as Gujarat, Punjab, and Haryana, and evolving smuggling patterns. Despite this, factors such as employment stagnation, higher education goals, and remittance aspirations continue to drive migration attempts, though with greater caution than before.