Second batch of illegal immigrants deported from US arrive in India

AMRITSAR: The second batch of Indian deportees sent back by the United States, as part of President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda, left for their homes on Sunday (February 16) soon after landing in northern city of Amritsar in Punjab state.

The planeload of 119 illegal Indian immigrants from the US landed late on Saturday (February 15) night, one of two flights of deportees expected to land in India this weekend, according to official sources.

Over 100 illegal Indian immigrants deported from US

Punjab’s NRI (Non-resident Indian) Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal and Power Minister Harbhajan Singh met and spoke to some of the deportees, after which they were taken to their respective homes in their states.

This deportation is part of President Donald Trump’s overhaul of immigration, and comes shortly after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States.

FIRST BATCH LANDED EARLIER THIS MONTH

Earlier in February, a US military aircraft carrying over 100 illegal Indian immigrants landed at the Shri Guru Ramdas Ji International Airport in Amritsar.

As per sources, the Indians were deported on a US C-17 aircraft, with their hands and feet cuffed after Indian authorities were notified.

A senior official told Indian media that the largest number of deportees are from Gujarat, Haryana, and Punjab, followed by Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.

During initial questioning, the deportees told authorities that they had used different agents and stayed at multiple locations before being apprehended.

INDIA ANNOUNCES CRACKDOWN ILLEGAL MIGRATION

India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar also announced a “strong crackdown” on illegal migration after the first batch of deported Indians arrived back.

India vows migrant ‘crackdown’ after US deportation flight

Thousands of unregistered migrants have been arrested across the United States since Trump’s inauguration on January 20.

Trump’s flurry of executive actions aimed at overhauling immigration to the United States is estimated to impact 11 million undocumented migrants.