US plane brings back 104 deported Indians, most from Gujarat, Punjab and Haryana

The deportees include 25 women and 12 minors, with the youngest passenger just four years old. Forty-eight individuals are below the age of 25.

The deportations come amid increasing US immigration enforcement measures, primarily targeting individuals who entered the country illegally or overstayed their visas. They are in line with President Donald Trump’s position against an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the country.

Before the flight landed, Punjab Police had made elaborate arrangements at the airport. “We discussed it in a meeting chaired by the Chief Minister today. He instructed the Punjab government to receive them in a friendly manner,” Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav said.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had earlier said they would provide all possible help to the individuals, while Punjab NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal had said it was better to “send illegal residents back home rather than putting them in jail in the US”.

Officials said that the individuals from Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh would be sent home by road, while those from Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh are likely to be flown back. A Punjab Police officer said they are unlikely to find any criminal record as the Centre had already scrutinised the list of individuals the US shared before sending them back.

In Gujarat, a police officer told The Indian Express that individuals from the state will likely arrive in Ahmedabad on a private airline from Amritsar. “The state home department is coordinating the transfer and arrival of the deportees after the formalities and basic screening are completed in Amritsar itself. Their local criminal records are being verified along with their documentation and Indian identity proof. They will arrive in Gujarat on Thursday,” said the officer.

Sources said that among the deportees from Gujarat, seven are minors. “When Indian nationals were deported from Vatry airport earlier, they were allowed to return home, and police recorded their statements. That was done to investigate the role of local agents. However, this time, since the US administration has returned them, we will try to understand what route they took and the nature of their entry and stay in the US. We are awaiting instructions to be followed in the case,” said an official.

In December 2023, a Nicaragua-bound chartered flight from the United Arab Emirates with 303 Indians was grounded in France’s Vatry airport on suspicion of human trafficking. About 70 passengers from Gujarat had returned to the home state in batches and were subjected to a probe by the Gujarat CID.