Second batch of 119 Indians deported from US to arrive in Amritsar on Feb 15-16

Two flights carrying 119 Indian migrants deported from the United States are scheduled to arrive at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar on February 15 and 16 at 10:05 PM. This follows an earlier flight on February 5 that brought back 104 deportees. The deportations are part of a crackdown on illegal immigration by US authorities, targeting individuals who entered the country without documentation.

According to official sources, 67 of the deportees on these flights are from Punjab, 33 from Haryana, eight from Gujarat, three from Uttar Pradesh, two each from Maharashtra and Rajasthan, and one each from Goa, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir. Many among them allegedly entered the US through Mexico and other routes and reportedly destroyed their passports upon arrival. Their repatriation marks the second large-scale return of Indian nationals this month.

The first batch of 104 deportees landed in Amritsar on February 5, and several passengers later claimed that they were shackled throughout the journey. The incident led to widespread criticism, prompting the Indian government to raise concerns with US authorities. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri later stated that both governments have committed to tackling illegal immigration and human trafficking while streamlining legal migration processes.

The deportations have led to increased enforcement action in India, with police in Punjab and Haryana launching a crackdown on travel agents accused of facilitating illegal migration. So far, at least 10 FIRs have been registered against agents who allegedly charged large sums of money to arrange unauthorized entry into the US. Several arrests have been made in connection with these cases.

During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the US, illegal immigration was a key discussion point in meetings with former President Donald Trump. “They committed to streamlining avenues for legal mobility of students and professionals and facilitating short-term tourist and business travel while also committing to aggressively addressing and tackling illegal immigration and human trafficking,” Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said. Both governments have also pledged to strengthen law enforcement efforts to curb such activities.