US C-17 Military Aircraft Carrying 205 Illegal Indian Migrants Lands in Amritsar

Ravi Singh

Amritsar, February 5, 2025 – A US C-17 military transport aircraft carrying 205 deported Indian nationals landed at the Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar today. This is the first wave of deportations of illegal immigrants under President Donald Trump’s sweeping immigration crackdown. The aircraft, operated by the US Air Force, took off from San Antonio, Texas before arriving in India, reports Press Trust of India (PTI).

President Trump, who took office last month, had promised to deport millions of illegal immigrants as part of his aggressive immigration policies. Throughout his campaign, Trump had vowed to expel an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants from the United States. His administration has stepped up enforcement efforts as the number of deportations has risen.

Those being deported include Indian nationals who came to the US illegally, often through dangerous ‘donkey routes’ – a term used for human trafficking networks that smuggle people across borders. Most of these migrants were detained by US immigration authorities before being deported back to India. This has drawn a lot of attention in Punjab, where there are a large number of people who seek opportunities overseas, sometimes through illegal routes.

Notably, this mass deportation aligns with the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington. While official discussions between India and the US will cover bilateral trade, defence and strategic ties, immigration policies and treatment of Indian migrants in the US are expected to be key issues on the agenda.

The arrival of the deportees has already sparked debate about the dangers posed by illegal immigration and the need for increased regulations to prevent human trafficking. Families of the deported migrants have expressed their anguish over the situation, while Indian authorities will be expected to help resettle them. According to experts, stricter US immigration policies could have a negative impact on illegal migration attempts in the next few months. In addition, President Trump’s renewed push for stricter immigration laws means that even more Indian and other undocumented migrants will face deportation. Immigration enforcement agents have dramatically increased their presence in every region of the country, looking for people without legal status for detention and deportation. These moves will be closely watched, especially among communities where the number of ambitious migrants is high. As the world focuses on the new US-India relationship, the issue of illegal migration is going to be a focal point of future diplomatic dialogue between the two countries.