As her cellphone rang on January 28 and Harjeet Singh’s name blinked on the screen, Sukhjeet Kaur picked the call, her heart racing as she awaited for her son to share with her the “good news”. Harjeet, who alongwith his cousin Harjot Singh had left their home at Khanowal village in Punjab’s Gurdaspur on October 12, had finally managed to illegally cross into the US from Mexico that day. That, however, was not the good news.
“Harjeet was happy that he and Harjot will now be arrested by the US authorities. He told us that he may not be able to call us for next few days,” said Sukhjeet Kaur. “They were not worried about their arrest as it was the necessary first step to start the paper work”.
The “paper work” here is the application for seeking asylum in the US. It had been a routine process in the past that illegal immigrants, who would get arrested after entering the US from Mexico on crossing the border, would be kept at detention centres. Later they would be given a chance to seek asylum and their case would be heard. With the process, in some cases, dragging on for years, the immigrants would start taking up petty jobs. If the papers were approved, the immigrants would get the legal status, opening the doors for them to get their family members to the US.
In Harjeet and Harjot’s case, however, their American dream was cut short. “Since January 28, there had been no communication with them. It was only today (Saturday) morning that we came to know that they have been deported. We are stunned,” said Sukhjeet Kaur.
The family is now starting at a huge financial crisis. For sending Harjeet and Harjot to the US through the illegal dunki route, the family had spent Rs 90 lakh.
“We paid the money Daler Singh, a travel agent, from Gurdaspur. We haven’t talked to the agent yet. Harjeet had sold his two acres land while Harjot sold once acre land and his car apart from borrowing money from private lender,” said Sukhjeet Kaur.
The cousins are among the 119 illegal immigrants who landed at Amritsar airport 11.30 pm on Saturday in a military aircraft after being deported from the US. This the second batch of deportees. Another US plane carrying 104 Indian had landed at Amritsar airport on February 5.
Meanwhile, relatives of the deportees, waiting outside the airport, had similar stories to tell — of how they raised money by selling farm land, tractors and cattle and borrowed money from private lenders to send family members abroad for a bright future. They also had stories of travel agents, who charged in lakhs, promising illegal entry into the US through dunki route.
Among the deportees in the second batch was Gurjinder Singh. A resident Bhullar village in Amritsar, Gurjinder Singh will be returning to a house, which he had mortgaged to go to the US. Waiting for him at home are his widowed mother Harjinder Kaur and two unmarried sisters.
Harjinder Kaur told the Indian Express that they paid Rs 55 lakh to an agent from Haryana who had promised to arrange documents to send Gurjinder to US through legal route. “We paid more money so that he shouldn’t face any trouble. But instead, Gurjinder spent eight months travelling via dunki route. He reached the US on January 28 and was arrested.”
the mother said Gurjinder had only one acre land to his name and it was sold to arrange money to fund his trip. “He also mortgaged the house. We talked to the travel agent, but he told us that his responsibility ended when Gurjinder crossed the border,” said Harjinder Kaur.
She, however, did not reveal the agent’s name.
The family members of 19-year-old Sourav, from village Chandiwala in Ferozepur, refused to divulge their agent’s name. Sourav had left on January 4 and entered into US from Mexico border on January 26, said his cousin Jaswinder Singh. “His journey was hassle free. We had paid Rs 40 lakh to the agent. We have been in negotiations with the agent. He has promised us to return the money. We don’t want to speak against him,” said Jaswinder.
He said Sourav had cleared 10+2 and the family had sold some land to send him to US. “Earlier, two youth from our village had went to US via dunki route. They are doing good and have been sending money back home. It was the reason that Sourav also wanted to reach US for better future,” said Jaswinder, while waiting outside the airport.
Also waiting at the airport was Gurlal Singh of Tarn Taran district’s Tarn Taran. Gurlal had come to receive Sukhchain Singh (29).
Sukhchain had gone to the United Kingdom two-and-a-half-years ago. From there he decided to go to the US. The family had spent Rs 22 lakh for sending him to the UK and then, Rs 20 lakh for his trip to the US. Sukhchain reached the US border on January 26 and was arrested. Gurlal demanded action against the travel agent.
The family of another deportee, Daljit Singh (38) of Kurala Kalan village in Hoshiarpur, too demanded action against the travel agent saying he had promised a direct flight to the US but instead, took him via the dunki route. The family claimed to have spent Rs 40-45 lakh to fund the trip.
After the first batch of illegal immigrants was sent back on February 5, the Punjab Police had constituted a four-member Special Investigation Team, headed by Additional DGP (NRI Affairs) Praveen Sinha, to probe the complaints of the deportees. It has already registered 10 FIRs and arrested one travel agent.
The cousins are among the 119 illegal immigrants who landed at Amritsar airport 11.30 pm on Saturday in a military aircraft after being deported from the US. (PTI Photo) 
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