335 Indians deported since Feb 5: Trump says 'cheaters, liars sent packing'

A fourth group of Indian nationals deported from the United States landed in Delhi on Sunday, as US President Donald Trump defended his administration’s mass deportations of undocumented foreign nationals.  

 

“The fraudsters, liars, cheaters, globalists, and deep state bureaucrats are being sent packing,” Trump said at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) outside Washington. “Illegal alien criminals are being sent home. We're draining the swamp and restoring government by the people.”  

 

The first deportation flight carrying 104 Indians arrived in Amritsar on February 5. Since then, a total of 335 Indians have been sent back, with 12 returned on Sunday. The deportations are part of the Trump administration’s broader crackdown on illegal immigration.

 

The US Department of Homeland Security posted on X that, as of February 3, its agents had arrested 8,768 people. Trump has pledged further arrests and “mass deportations” as part of his immigration policy overhaul.  

 

Indian immigrants in US detention  

 

According to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), one million immigrants have been detained over the last four years, including nearly 25,000 Indians.  

 

The number of detained Indians peaked at 9,207 in 2022, up from 1,835 in 2021. Detentions fell in 2023 and 2024, though deportations have continued.  

 

As of 2022, unauthorised immigrants made up 3.3% of the total US population and 23% of the foreign-born population, according to Pew Research Centre.  

  Are Americans unhappy with Trump?

 

While Trump’s immigration policies remain a key issue for his supporters, they have divided opinion across the country.  

 

A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted between February 13-18 found:  

< 55% of respondents supported increasing deportations, while 41% were opposed.  

< 47% approved of Trump’s handling of immigration.  

< About one-third of Trump’s 2024 voters opposed his proposal to end birthright citizenship.  

< One in five opposed his administration’s move to end diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.  

 

Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) supporters see immigration enforcement as a key motivator for voting again, a priority that shaped his campaign last year. However, his broader economic policies have received mixed ratings from the public, according to the poll.