As US sends military plane to India, what to know of Trump’s mass deportation efforts

1. 01

   Who is being deported from the US? How many Indians will be affected?

   The Trump administration is targeting undocumented or illegal migrants in the country. According to the New York Times, the military planes to Latin America so far have carried people apprehended under the previous Joe Biden administration.

   At least 20,407 "undocumented" Indians could be on the Trump administration's radar. Of these, 17,940 "paperless" Indians were under "final removal orders", and another 2,467 are in detention under the Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.

   Citing official sources, CNBC reported that as many as 200 undocumented migrants were on the C-17 military aircraft flying to India.

   Moreover, Pew Research Center data shows that a total of 7,25,000 Indians made up the third-largest "unauthorised immigrant" population in the US in 2022.

2. 02

   The cost and logistics of deportation

   The use of military aircraft marks a departure from usual deportations carried out by ICE on commercial charters. The Trump administration has employed both commercial flights and military aircraft for its latest spate of deportations. However, the military aircraft have garnered international attention after the Colombian president refused to let one land in his country on January 26. Receiving countries have also protested the use of handcuffs and chains for deportees.

   According to news agency Reuters, the US is spending large sums of money on these flights. A military flight that landed in Guatemala on January 27 likely cost at least $4,675 (over Rs 4,07,000) per migrant. The flight was carrying 64 migrants.

3. 03

   Trump's sweeping anti-immigrant drive

   On his first day in office, Trump declared illegal immigration a "national emergency" and instituted several measures to weed out illegal aliens.

   In a first, Trump has allowed ICE to tap into other federal agencies, including the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Border Patrol, to find, arrest and deport illegal migrants. He has also empowered the Defence Secretary to send troops to the border as needed.

   Trump also junked guidelines that prevented immigration agencies from carrying out arrests at sensitive locations like schools, hospitals and churches.

   The Biden administration had granted "parole" to people who are in legal entanglement over their immigration status. Trump has said that these people could be deported as well. The new administration has also shut down the CBP One mobile application under the Customs and Border Patrol agency that allowed migrants to schedule appointments at border entry points.

   Trump also ended birthright citizenship for children born to undocumented immigrants, and has dismantled refugee programs.

4. 04

   US ramps up arrests, detention

   While undocumented migrants await deportation, which also requires cooperation from receiving countries, the Trump administration has decided to ramp up its detention facilities.

   On January 29, Trump announced that they would build a migrant detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, infamous for housing terrorism suspects after the 9/11 terror attack. The facility is expected to house as many as 30,000 migrants. The US military has also offered to use the Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado to detain migrants.

   The US requires more detention space given the increase in arrests by ICE, helped by other federal agencies. According to Reuters, ICE arrested about 1,000 people in just the last week of January, which is about three times the daily average last year.

5. 05

   Trump's tariff leverage

   Recent developments have shown that Trump is willing to use America's economic might to get other countries in line. When Colombia refused to let the military plane land, Trump retaliated with 25 per cent tariffs on all Colombian goods. Colombia promptly sent its planes to bring back deportees, preventing a trade war with its largest trading partner.

   On Saturday, Trump announced 25 per cent tariffs on his top trading partners and neighbours, Canada and Mexico over the flow of illegal migrants and drugs across borders. By late Sunday, Canada and Mexico had struck last-minute deals in exchange for a 30-day pause on tariffs. Both countries have agreed to ramp up border enforcement.

   Last week, House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson warned that the US Congress was willing to pass sanctions on countries which refuse to cooperate with the Trump administration’s order on deportation of undocumented immigrants.

Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric was key to his campaign in the run-up to the US elections in 2024. India’s offer to take back undocumented migrants comes on the back of concerns over any hindrances to legal migration, amid intense debates over the H-1B visa programme in the US.

After his victory, a section of Trump supporters wanted an end to the H-1B programme which allows US firms to hire specially-skilled foreign workers. Several others, including Trump’s trusted ally and billionaire Elon Musk, had argued that while the H-1B scheme needed changes, it benefitted the US economy as a whole.