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The US Department of Homeland Security confirmed on Friday that the US had expelled a number of Indian nationals who were in the country illegally.
The chartered flight carrying them left for India on October 22, it said, adding that the operation was carried out in coordination with Indian authorities.
The ministry did not say how many people were on the flight.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported finding 90,415 Indians who attempted to enter the country without valid documents from October 2023 to September 2024.
Christy A. Canegaro, acting DHS deputy secretary, warned against false promises by smugglers, stressing that “Indians without a legal basis for being in the United States will be subject to immediate deportation.” .
“Prospective migrants should not fall for the lies of smugglers who claim otherwise,” she says.
DHS said it is focused on repatriation and facilitating legal immigration pathways in its broader efforts to enforce immigration laws and deter illegal immigration.
Since June 2024, when new immigration policies based on the President’s Secure Borders Proclamation were implemented, encounters at unauthorized border crossings in the southwestern United States have reportedly decreased by 55%.
According to DHS, more than 160,000 people were deported or repatriated in fiscal year 2024, and more than 495 repatriation flights were operated to more than 145 countries, including India. DHS continues to work with governments around the world to ensure the prompt return of individuals without legal authorization to be in the United States, with the goal of reducing illegal immigration and combating cross-border smuggling activities. The ministry said there are.
Over the past year, the United States has deported individuals from various countries, including Colombia, Egypt, Peru, and China, under ongoing enforcement actions.
