On February 17, 2025, two flights carrying 33 Indian deportees from the United States landed at Ahmedabad Airport. This group is part of the third batch of deported individuals, following the first deportation flight that arrived on February 6. The deportees, including children, were transported to their native areas in Gujarat under police escort after their arrival.
The first flight carrying three deportees arrived around noon, with two individuals from Mehsana and one from Gandhinagar. The second flight, carrying 30 more deported individuals, touched down at around 2 p.m. Airport Police Inspector SG Khambhla confirmed that all 33 deportees were escorted in police vehicles directly to their homes across Gujarat, including Mehsana, Gandhinagar, and other districts.
Since the first deportation flight on February 6, the total number of deported individuals from Gujarat has now reached 74. This is part of a larger initiative by the Trump administration to deport undocumented Indian migrants, which has been a controversial and ongoing issue. The deportees were part of the third batch, and the total number of deported individuals from India since the start of the operation has been significant.
This follows another deportation event on February 16, when a flight carrying eight deportees landed in Ahmedabad from Amritsar, after deporting a total of 116 Indians. The deportations primarily involve individuals who had entered the US illegally and had been living there without proper documentation.
While the deportations have been ongoing, political figures have raised concerns about the treatment of deportees. Trinamool Congress (TMC) Member of Parliament (MP) Saket Gokhale has raised issues regarding the alleged mistreatment of deported individuals, particularly those who were put in handcuffs and leg shackles on the flights. Gokhale also highlighted reports that some deported Sikhs were not allowed to wear their turbans during the flight.
Gokhale has called on India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar, to clarify whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue of deportations during his recent meeting with US President Donald Trump. In his statement on social media platform X, Gokhale questioned whether the treatment of deportees, including the use of restraints and religious disrespect, was discussed during diplomatic talks.
The ongoing deportation of Indian nationals has sparked debates over immigration policies and the treatment of individuals who have overstayed their visas or entered the United States without proper documentation. With more deportation flights expected in the coming weeks, the situation continues to unfold, drawing attention from political figures, human rights activists, and the public alike.
As the deportation process continues, authorities in Gujarat have been working to manage the return of the deported individuals, ensuring that they are safely escorted back to their home districts. Meanwhile, the political ramifications of these deportations continue to reverberate, with calls for greater clarity from the Indian government on how this issue is being addressed on the international stage.
