The United States has deported 1,563 Indian nationals since January 20 this year — the day Donald Trump began his second term as President — the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday. A majority of these individuals were sent back to India via commercial flights.
“Since January 20 of this year, till yesterday, a total of 1,563 Indian nationals have been deported from the United States. Most of them returned on commercial flights,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated during a press briefing.
Official data previously shared by the MEA in Parliament highlighted that during Trump’s first term from 2017 to 2021, the US had deported a total of 6,135 Indian nationals. The highest number of deportations occurred in 2019, when 2,042 Indians were sent back. Other years saw deportations of 1,024 individuals in 2017, 1,180 in 2018, and 1,889 in 2020.
In comparison, the number of deportations during President Joe Biden’s administration was significantly lower, totalling around 3,000 over the course of his term.
Trump’s first term in office was marked by a strict crackdown on illegal immigration. According to a Reuters report, the US deported 37,660 migrants in January 2017 alone, the first month of Trump’s presidency. Sources also indicate that US authorities have prepared a list of approximately 18,000 undocumented Indian nationals who could face deportation in the coming months.
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