Shackled for 40 hours: Outrage as India vows crackdown on illegal migration to US

Dubai: Indians are outraged over the treatment of their fellow citizens by the US following the deportation of over 100 nationals who were illegally attempting to enter the United States.

Their return on a US military flight on Wednesday comes as part of President Donald Trump’s sweeping campaign to remove undocumented migrants, a policy that is already impacting thousands of Indians and others.

The deportees, including women and children, were reportedly shackled for nearly 40 hours during their journey, a move that has sparked widespread condemnation in India.

External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar assured Parliament on Thursday that India is actively engaging with the US government to ensure that deported Indians are not mistreated.

“Our focus should be on a strong crackdown,” Jaishankar said, stressing the importance of legal mobility and the need for India to take “preventive and exemplary actions” against the agents facilitating illegal migration.

The Indian government has vowed to curb the rising tide of illegal migration to the US, as more deportations are expected in the coming months, especially ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington next week.

Dark realities

While the government expresses resolve in dealing with illegal immigration, the plight of those deported reveals the dark realities behind the journey.

Thousands of Indians risk everything in hopes of better opportunities in the US, often resorting to illegal routes facilitated by unscrupulous agents.

Many of the deported individuals reported having sold land or properties to fund their desperate attempts to enter the US.

Among the deportees was Jaspal Singh, a resident of Hardorwal village in Gurdaspur, who paid Rs30 lakh (Rs3 million) to an agent promising a legal entry into the US.

Instead, he was led into a web of deceit, crossing treacherous terrains from South America to Mexico before being captured by US Border Patrol.

“I asked the agent to send me through a proper visa, but he deceived me,” said Jaspal, who was shackled throughout the journey and only unshackled after landing in Amritsar.

Harwinder Singh, another deportee, recounted his harrowing journey from Qatar, Brazil, and Peru through Panama, Nicaragua, and Mexico. He was among the group attempting to cross the US border illegally. “We crossed hills, and at one point, the boat we were on nearly capsized in the sea. We survived, but I saw one person die in the Panama jungle and another drown in the sea,” Singh said. He paid Rs 42 lakh for the perilous journey, which promised safe passage to the US but instead led to hardship and death.

“Sometimes we got rice. Sometimes, we did not get anything to eat. We used to get biscuits,” he said.

Another deportee from Punjab spoke of a similar experience, who was taken to the States via Italy and Latin America. “We crossed 17-18 hills. If one slipped, then there would be no chance that he would survive... We have seen a lot. If an .. If anybody got injured, he was left to die. We saw dead bodies”.

Camping in forests of Panama

Videos have emerged showing Indians camping in the forests of Panama, including women with infants and men sitting in the mud, trying to shield themselves from the rain.

In one particularly harrowing video, the migrants can be seen donning raincoats as they endure a heavy downpour while preparing to continue their journey through the treacherous route to Mexico.

The operation marks a significant escalation in Trump’s immigration crackdown, which seeks to deport millions of undocumented migrants living in the US.

The US Border Patrol chief, Michael W. Banks, boasted that this marked the “farthest deportation flight yet” using military transport, underscoring the administration’s commitment to enforcing immigration laws.

As the deportees return to India, their stories highlight the dangers of illegal migration. Many were abandoned by agents midway, left to survive in the harsh conditions of jungles and seas.

The agents’ empty promises left them with shattered hopes and broken dreams. Despite the ongoing political and diplomatic push to address the situation, the treatment of these deportees, the hardships they endured, and the fraudulent tactics used by agents to exploit desperate individuals reveal the complex and tragic nature of illegal immigration.