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More than 15,000 Indian nationals have been deported to India from the United States after US President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, the Foreign Minister said on Thursday. Most of those deported have come to India on commercial flights, according to the government.
"As many as 1563 Indian nationals have been deported from the US in the last six months. This figure pertains to the period from January 20 to July 15. Most have come via commercial flight," Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
The deportations are part of a crackdown ordered by the Trump administration, which had earlier claimed that Indians who were sent home had illegally entered the United States over the years. India has cooperated with the US as it maintained that it was the responsibility of countries to accept their citizens living abroad illegally, subject to verification of nationality.
An estimated 725,000 Indian nationals live in the US illegally, making them the third largest ethnic group after the nationals from Mexico and El Salvador, according to Pew Research Centre data.
Trump's Crackdown On Immigration
Since taking the oath as US president for the second time, Trump has made good on his defining political promise to crack down on immigration and ordered mass deportations. The US has also warned visa holders that their screening continues even after a visa was granted to them, and any misstep on their part can lead to revocation.
On Thursday, the US Embassy in India warned that committing assault, theft, or burglary in the United States could lead to a visa being revoked. The advisory comes after an Indian woman was caught stealing items worth Rs 1.1 lakh at a Target store in Illinois.
As a word of caution, the advisory further stated that such an act - robbery - could make one ineligible for future US visas, preventing re-entry into the US. Therefore, the embassy urged foreign visitors to adhere to law and order.
