US border patrol shares video of Indians in chains amid outrage

Dubai: India is outraged over the US deportation of 104 illegal Indian immigrants, who were handcuffed and shackled for a nearly 24-hour flight.

The US Border Patrol (USBP) released a video on X showing deportees being led onto a military transport plane.

“If you cross illegally, you will be removed,” USBP Chief Michael W. Banks declared, calling it the farthest deportation flight yet.

Set to dramatic music, the video showed migrants being marched aboard the C-17 transport plane, shackled at the legs, shuffling like hardened criminals.

American soldiers followed, and the camera captured them strapped into seats before takeoff. The flight landed in Amritsar, Punjab, late Wednesday.

Among those deported was Jaspal Singh, 36, from Punjab’s Gurdaspur, who paid ₹30 lakh to an agent promising legal entry to the US. Instead, he was forced onto the ‘donkey route’ — a treacherous journey through South America, often exploited by traffickers. “They treated us like criminals,” he said, recounting the ordeal.

The use of military aircraft for deportations aligns with President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration stance, as his administration increasingly deploys the military to enforce border policies. Critics see this as a harsh and humiliating tactic, while supporters hail it as a firm stance against illegal migration.

The deportation has sparked debates in India, with many questioning the treatment of their citizens and the failure of immigration rackets that continue to exploit desperate job seekers. As deportees return home with stories of deception and hardship, the larger issue of illegal migration remains unresolved.