104 Indians Deported from US Land in Amritsar – What Happens Next?

104 Indians Deported from US Land in Amritsar: As many as 104 illegal Indian immigrants deported from the United States landed in Amritsar airport, Punjab, here on Wednesday via a US military C-17 transport aircraft. Sources said 30 of them are from Punjab, 33 each from Haryana and Gujarat, three each from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, and two from Chandigarh.

This was the first such deportation since the coming into force of President Donald Trump's comprehensive crackdown on illegal immigrants.

The US military aircraft had taken off from San Antonio, Texas, and landed at Amritsar's Shri Guru Ramdas Ji International Airport at around 1:55 pm.

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What will happen to these immigrants?

The administration conducted initial questioning of the deportees and arranged for their return to their respective homes.

It was reported that no family members of the deportees had come to the airport to receive them.

Sources said that after a thorough verification of their documents and credentials along with a medical check-up, the deportees will be sent to their respective states and hometowns.

The sources further said that special buses were arranged by the state governments concerned to ensure the deportees' journey back home, and local police personnel would also be assigned to the buses for their safety.

As per sources, the deportees coming from Maharashtra and Gujarat will be flown back to their destinations.

Notably, with the deportation mode coming into play now, those Punjab residents who sent hundreds of thousands of rupees to get in on "donkey routes" or other illegal ways are now being thrown out.

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Trump crackdown on immigration

The Trump administration in Washington moved into action with President's assumption of office on January 20. So far, illegal migrants deported by military aircraft have also been sent to Guatemala, Peru and Honduras.

One of the most distant places for America to send its planes to deport illegal immigrants would be India.

Earlier, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated that it would facilitate returning Indian nationals "overstaying" or staying without proper documents in the US or "anywhere in the world."

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated the Indian stance on illegal immigration, stating that India opposed it "primarily because it has links with organized crime".

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