US Plane with illegal Indian migrants lands in Amritsar

As many as 104 illegal Indian immigrants deported from the United States landed in a US military C-17 transport aircraft at Punjab's Amritsar airport on Wednesday. Of these, 30 are from Punjab, 33 each from Haryana and Gujarat, three each from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, and two from Chandigarh. The US military aircraft, which took off from Texas's San Antonio and landed at Amritsar's Shri Guru Ramdas Ji International Airport around 1:55 pm. As per information, there was no family members of the deportees reached the airport to receive them.Notably, several people from Punjab, who entered the American soil through "donkey routes" or other illegal ways by sending lakhs or rupees, are now facing deportation. A Punjab official said that most deportees from the state belong to Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Jalandhar, Nawanshahr, Patiala, Mohali and Sangrur. Some of them had entered the US illegally, while others overstayed their visas. 48 people are below the age of 25.

#WATCH | US Air Force plane carrying Indian citizens who allegedly illegally migrated to USA lands in Punjab's Amritsar. pic.twitter.com/JmT1xApZKO

— ANI (@ANI) February 5, 2025

Sources said there were 11 crew members and 45 American officials in the plane accompanying the deportees. This was the first such deportation to India under US President Donald Trump's massive crackdown on illegal immigrants. A spokesperson at the US embassy in New Delhi said on Tuesday that Washington is tightening immigration laws and removing illegal migrants. 
Punjab NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal voiced disappointment over the deportation, criticising the US government’s decision. Dhaliwal said that many Indians initially entered the US on work permits, which later expired, rendering them undocumented. The minister also urged Punjabis to avoid illegal immigration routes, often referred to as "donkey routes," and instead focus on acquiring education and skills for legal migration.