Thu Feb 06 03:04:16 UTC 2025: ## 104 Indian Migrants Deported from US, Detail Grueling Journey

**Amritsar, India –** A US Air Force plane carrying 104 Indian citizens deported for illegal immigration landed in Amritsar on Wednesday, February 5, 2025. The deportees, who endured harrowing journeys involving human trafficking and perilous land and sea crossings, recounted their experiences, highlighting the dangers and deception involved in their attempts to reach the United States.

Among the deportees were 33 individuals each from Haryana and Gujarat, 30 from Punjab, and smaller numbers from other Indian states. Nineteen women and 13 minors, including a four-year-old boy, were also among those returned.

Jaspal Singh, a 36-year-old deportee from Gurdaspur district, Punjab, stated he paid a travel agent ₹30 lakh for what he believed to be a legal path to the US. Instead, he was smuggled through Brazil and forced to cross the US border illegally, ultimately arrested by US Border Patrol and deported after 11 days in custody. Singh, along with other deportees, described being handcuffed and shackled throughout their deportation flight.

Other deportees shared similar accounts of exploitation, recounting journeys that involved treacherous land crossings, perilous sea voyages, and instances of theft and even death among their travel companions. One individual described a journey that took him through Qatar, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Panama, Nicaragua, and Mexico, involving a near-capsizing boat and witnessing the death of fellow travelers. Another detailed the loss of thousands of rupees worth of clothing during the journey. The cost of the illegal journeys ranged from ₹30 lakh to ₹42 lakh.

The deportations occurred days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to Washington for talks with President Donald Trump. Upon arrival in Amritsar, the deportees were questioned by various Indian government agencies. The event underscores the risks associated with illegal migration and the human cost of human trafficking.

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