Second US plane with 119 Indians to land in Amritsar on Feb 15, next on 16

A US aircraft carrying 119 illegal Indian immigrants is set to land at Amritsar airport on February 15 at around 10 pm, reported PTI, citing official sources. This is the second batch of deportees sent back by the Donald Trump administration, which began a strict crackdown on illegal immigration last month. 

 

Among the 119 deportees, 67 are from Punjab, 33 from Haryana, eight from Gujarat, three from Uttar Pradesh, two each from Goa, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan, and one each from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. Another plane carrying more deportees is expected to arrive on February 16.

 

First plan carried 104 illegal Indians earlier 

 

This comes just days after a US military aircraft brought back 104 illegal Indian immigrants to Amritsar on February 5, 2025. Many deportees, especially from Punjab, had attempted to reach the US for a better future, spending huge amounts of money on illegal routes. However, they were caught at the US border and sent back in shackles.

 

Since Donald Trump took office, US authorities have intensified their crackdown on illegal immigration. Many migrants from Punjab and other states took “donkey routes”, a risky and expensive way to enter the US illegally, but are now being deported.

 

Punjab government’s criticism 

 

The Punjab government has expressed concern over the deportations. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema questioned why the planes land in Amritsar and not other states like Gujarat, Haryana, or Delhi. 

 

Furthermore, the state government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate illegal human trafficking networks. So far, 10 FIRs have been registered against fraudulent immigration agents based on the statements of deportees.

 

Opposition questions handcuffing

 

When the first plane from the US carried 104 illegal Indians to Amritsar, videos circulated on social media where immigrants were seen as handcuffed and chained in a 40-hour-long flight. This incident sparked widespread criticism against the central government from common people and Opposition leaders as well. 

 

For instance, the senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, in Rajya Sabha questioned whether External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had raised concerns about the handcuffing of deported Indians during his meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio before their return.

 

His remarks sparked a sharp response from Leader of the House JP Nadda, who countered by asking why similar concerns were not raised when such deportations occurred under the UPA government.

 

During a discussion on the Union Budget 2025-26, Chidambaram criticised the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), saying it had “stumbled badly” in handling the deportation of 104 illegal Indian immigrants who were flown to Amritsar last week. He pointed out that the US had informed India about the deportation in advance.

 

Chidambaram questions talk with Rubio

 

Referring to reports of Jaishankar’s meeting with Rubio shortly before the deportation, Chidambaram asked, “Did the external affairs minister raise the issue with Mr Rubio? Did he question the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) that has been in place since 2012?”

 

He further pressed the government, saying, “If Jaishankar was aware of the SOP, did he protest the US policy of handcuffing and tying deportees’ legs with ropes? If he did not, why not?”

 

Additionally, Chidambaram inquired whether the minister had offered to send an Indian aircraft to the US to bring back the deported citizens.

 

[With inputs from PTI]