Chandigarh: A flight carrying a third batch of 157 illegal Indian immigrants landed in Amritsar on Sunday night, said official sources. The deportees have a maximum of people from Haryana, they said. Among the 157 people, 54 are from Punjab, 60 from Haryana, 34 from Gujarat, three from Uttar Pradesh, and one each from Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.
They are among those deported from the United States (US) following the crackdown on illegal immigration by Donald Trump's administration. A US military aircraft carried them to India and it landed at the Amritsar International Airport.
Previous Batch of Deportees
The movement of the latest batch follows the deportation of 116 on Saturday and 104 individuals earlier, marking another phase in the US government's intensified crackdown on undocumented immigrants. Of 116 deportees, 65 are from Punjab, 33 from Haryana, eight from Gujarat, two each from UP, Goa, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, and one each from Himachal and J&K
According to official sources, deportations of Indians from the US will continue till all illegal immigrants are returned to their homes. Among the deportees who arrived in India on Saturday are Jatinder Singh of Amritsar. He went to America after paying 45 lakhs. The others being deported are Daljit Singh, a young man from Kurala Kalan village in Hoshiarpur; Gurmeet Singh of Talania village in Fatehgarh Sahib; and Sahilpreet Singh belonging to Behbal Bahadur village in Sultanpur Lodhi, Kapurthala district.
The Punjab Police have arrested two of the deportees, Sandeep and Pradeep, who are also cousins at the airport as they were wanted in a murder case in Patiala and had already been declared proclaimed offenders, per officials.
Modi Government Faces Criticism
The deportations come in the immediate wake of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the United States, where he met President Donald Trump to discuss key bilateral issues, including immigration. During a joint press conference, Modi reaffirmed India's commitment to repatriating verified Indian nationals while stressing the need to combat human trafficking networks that exploit vulnerable migrants.
On Saturday, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann slammed the central government for choosing Amritsar for the landing of illegal Indian immigrants from the US. “It’s a conspiracy to defame Amritsar, which is a sacred land,” he said.
“The political leaders should consider the impact of their rhetoric ahead of the 2027 elections. They may need to seek votes from the same communities,” Mann said. Like other nations, he said, the US could have made arrangements for the deportees to be transported in dignity.
Deportees Narrate Traumatic Experiences
Soon after their arrival, many deportees recalled the trauma they faced during their journey to the US through the ‘donkey’ route and back home through deportation. They said that when they reached the US after weeks of arduous travel through various countries, thinking of a better life but were shattered as they had to return even after spending huge money.
Jaspal Singh, a resident of Patti town in Tarn Taran, is also among the deportees, who reached home late last night. He had left home for the US 18 months ago. “I had to face a lot of problems on the way. I had paid Rs 44 lakh to the agent. I have also incurred expenses of Rs 5 to 6 lakh on the way. I appeal to the youth not to go abroad illegally,” he said.
According to him, except for women and children, all the men were tied in chains. “They opened our chains just before the plane landed to show to the Indian government that we were not tied,” he said, appealing to the government to employ the deported youth so that they could support their family.
Sourav (20), who reached his village Chandiwala in Punjab's Ferozepur district on Sunday, said he was caught by the US authorities as tried to enter the country by crossing the border on January 27. He left home for the US on December 17 last year.
"We were kept in a camp (detention centre) for 18 days," Sourav told PTI, adding that their mobile phones were taken away. "A day before yesterday, we were told that we will be shifted to another camp. When we were put into a plane, they said we were being taken to India," he said.
He claimed that his family sold two acres of farmland and spent Rs 45-46 lakh to send him abroad. “The US authorities shackled us en route to Amritsar and we were handcuffed and our legs were chained," he added.
Another deportee Harjit Singh from Khanowal Ghuman village in the Gurdaspur district expressed a similar ordeal saying, “We were caught while crossing the US border on January 27 and kept at a detention centre for 18 days. We were deported on February 13, handcuffed with our legs chained," PTI quoted him as saying.
Harjit’s family had also spent Rs 90 lakh on him and his cousin for them to go to the US. "We were assured that we would be taken to America legally, but we were not," he said.
Mantaj Singh (22) of Bodal village in Hoshiarpur district alleged he was caught by the US Border Patrol as soon as he tried to enter the US, adding that he was taken there via 'donkey route' -- an illegal and risky pathway used by migrants to enter the US.
Another deportee Gurmeet Singh, a resident of village Talania under Halka Fatehgarh Sahib, narrated his ordeal, saying that he had left home for America on 06 November 2024 and his flight from Jaipur on 29 November. He said that a deal for Rs 25 lakh was made initially but later he was forced to pay far more. He had to face a lot of difficulties and he had to survive by drinking water only for many days, he said. He further said that he was also beaten up on the way. Gurmeet advised the youth to work in India instead of going abroad by illegal means.
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