A U.S. aircraft carrying 119 Indian deportees landed at Amritsar’s Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport on Saturday, marking the second deportation flight under the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration. This is part of a broader effort by the United States to enforce stricter immigration laws and deport illegal immigrants to their home countries.
The deportees are predominantly from Punjab, with 67 individuals from the state. Other deportees come from Haryana (33), Gujarat (8), Uttar Pradesh (3), Goa, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan (2 each), and one each from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Upon arrival, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann visited the airport and assured that transportation arrangements were in place to take the Punjab residents back to their hometowns. “Our vehicles are ready to take them to their places,” Mann said.
Sources have confirmed that, in addition to the 119 deportees from this batch, a third flight will carry 157 deportees and is scheduled to arrive in Amritsar on Sunday.
The first batch of deportees arrived in early February, with a U.S. Air Force plane landing at Amritsar on February 5, bringing 104 Indian nationals back to India. The flight sparked controversy when many deportees claimed that authorities cuffed their hands and legs during the flight, unshackling them only upon arrival. The inhumane treatment of the deportees prompted widespread outrage across India, with many opposition leaders criticizing the government’s response.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge condemned the treatment of Indian deportees, stating that authorities treated them worse than “garbage.” The Indian government quickly voiced its concerns to Washington, urging that authorities treat the deportees with dignity and respect.
Ahead of the second flight’s arrival, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also criticized the central government for allowing deportation flights to land in Amritsar. He expressed concerns that Amritsar, a city revered for its historical and religious significance, including the Golden Temple, could become a hub for deportations. “Do not make our holy city a deportation centre,” Mann said, urging the government to consider other airports for such flights. Mann also posed a rhetorical question, asking if the U.S. would allow deportation flights to land in Vatican City, should the deportees hail from there.
This ongoing deportation process reflects the ongoing immigration policies of the Trump administration, but the treatment of deportees has sparked debates and concerns over the human rights of those affected. With the third deportation flight expected soon, the issue remains a point of contention, both politically and socially, in India.
