Four days after she landed at Amritsar airport as part of the third batch of 112 illegal immigrants deported by the US, a 39-year-old woman from Punjab’s Ludhiana district says she is still under “immense mental trauma”. A divorcee and single mother to a 13-year-old son, the woman, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that all she wanted was a “better life and opportunities for her son”, which prompted her to attempt to reach the US via the illegal “dunki route”. “Was I really wrong if all that I wanted was a decent life for my son? I am a divorcee. My parents died when I was young. I am a Class-12 pass and have failed to find any decent job here. So I thought of going to the US, getting work and making things easier for my son. I wanted to call him to the US legally once I was settled,” she said, breaking into tears. She said she had previously faced visa rejections from Canada and the UK. The woman revealed that she had paid Rs 45 lakh to her travel agent, who arranged her journey to the US-Mexico border through several countries, including the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Guatemala, and Tijuana. She crossed the US border on January 29 but was detained by authorities shortly after. “I would not lie. I did not cross any jungles or rivers to reach the US border. I travelled the entire route by flight as promised by my agent. My agent has now promised that he will return my money in a few days. If he doesn’t, I will file a police case against him, but first, I will wait for him to return my money,” she said. The woman said that when she got to know she was being deported to India, she had “suicidal thoughts”. “I thought it would be better to die or languish in an American jail instead of going back home to face so much humiliation. But I must appreciate the Punjab government and police, who have been very sympathetic to us this time. I was not expecting such cooperation from Punjab Police, but they assured me that if my agent fails to return the money, they will ensure justice. They also dropped us home safely,” she added. “During the flight back to India, all the women were crying. Even some men broke down this time. However, the US authorities did not shackle women deportees this time. I was not handcuffed or chained. But we were emotionally broken, fearing humiliation back home,” she recounted. Describing her time at the US detention centre as “horrifying”, the woman said deportees were served “smelly bread” and a handful of chips or fritters for the entire day. “Remembering the smell of that bread still gives me nausea. We did not eat properly for days. When we were served fresh, hot Indian food at Amritsar airport, that feeling of returning home was heavenly. Initially, I had suicidal thoughts after being deported, but now I am better. I have to be there for my son,” she said. “I want my one message to reach the governments in India that no one leaves their own country or home unless there are some compulsions. For instance, I only wanted a better life for my son. The government should help women like me who aren’t highly qualified. Had I got a decent job here, I would have never thought of leaving my home. But who gives a job to a Class-12 pass here? I did not want to work as a domestic help in the homes of other people but wanted some other decent job. Currently, I have no idea what lies ahead, but I have to think about my son’s future,” she said, adding that she had sold her property and taken out loans from relatives to raise Rs 45 lakh. “If my agent fails to return my money, I will be fighting till the end to get it back,” she reiterated. The station house officer from the local Khanna police said: “We have contacted the woman to record her statement and file a case against the agent, but she is waiting for him to return the money. If he fails to, she will then file a case against him. We are yet to verify other details of her case and background.”
