Trump crackdown: India to repatriate 18,000 illegal immigrants from the US

India is willing to cooperate with the Trump administration by identifying and repatriating Indian nationals residing illegally in the US, a Bloomberg report revealed. The report stated that approximately 18,000 such individuals have been identified, and India is working to verify and facilitate their deportation.

 

In 2023-24, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) deported over 1,100 Indian nationals as part of broader efforts targeting unauthorised migrants. Globally, 495 repatriation flights returned 160,000 individuals to 145 countries, including India.

 

The issue of illegal migration among Indian nationals has grown in prominence. In 2023-24, US authorities reported 90,415 attempts by Indian nationals to enter the country unlawfully, predominantly through the northern border. Indians now constitute about 3% of all unlawful crossings, surpassing other Asian groups such as Filipinos.

 

Economic difficulties and visa delays push many Indians toward unauthorised migration.

 

“The lowest per capita income in the US is $48,110, in the state of Mississippi,” explained Russell A Stamets, partner at Circle of Counsels. “The net national income for India is about 2.4% of that—around $1,161—and Bihar has the lowest per capita income at about $708, or around 1.5% of the poorest state in the US.”

 

He added: “There will always be people looking to better their life situation.”

 

Visa delays and restrictions further compound the problem.

 

“Many Indians face restrictions and long delays in obtaining visas or green cards,” said Zeeshan Farooqui, Partner at King Stubb & Kasiva. “This drives some to explore alternative routes, often at great financial and personal risk.”

 

Trump targets immigrants on Day 1

 

As soon as Donald Trump was inaugurated, he initiated a series of executive actions on immigration during a signing ceremony in the Oval Office.

 

On Monday, he signed several orders related to border policy, including measures to "realign" the Refugee Admission Program, designate cartels as foreign terrorist organisations, declare a national emergency at the southern border, and end automatic citizenship for children born in the U.S. to parents without legal status.

 

Tom Homan, the incoming border czar, announced that large-scale raids to detain and deport individuals without legal status are set to begin as early as Tuesday. These raids will prioritise individuals deemed a security or safety threat.

 

Meanwhile, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde of the National Cathedral in Washington made an appeal to Trump on the first day of his presidency, a video of which has since gone viral. Addressing the president directly, she implored him to show compassion towards immigrants, invoking moral and religious values.

 

“In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now,” said Bishop Budde, leader of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington.

 

“The people...they are people who pick our crops, clean our office buildings, who labour in poultry and meat-packing plants, who wash our dishes after we eat in restaurants, and work the night shifts in hospitals,” Bishop Budde said.

 

She added, “They may not be citizens nor have proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbours. They are faithful members of our churches, synagogues, gurdwaras, mosques and temples.”

 

“I ask you to have mercy, Mr President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here,” she said.

 

Former President Trump swiftly responded on his Truth Social platform, criticising Bishop Budde and accusing her of politicising her religious role. “She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way,” Trump wrote. He described her tone as “nasty” and suggested her statements lacked substance.

 

Trump reiterated his stance on immigration, asserting that illegal immigrants posed a major threat. “A large number of immigrants have come to the United States illegally and killed people,” he said, though he did not provide specific figures or examples in this context.

 

The crime and immigration debate

 

The link between immigration and crime has been a contentious topic in the US. Research contradicts claims that immigration is associated with higher crime rates. “Immigrants in the United States commit crimes at lower rates than the US-born population,” according to a report by Migration Policy.

 

Studies also show that immigrants, including those without legal status, are 60% less likely to be incarcerated than native-born citizens. Research by the National Bureau of Economic Research and state-level data from Texas corroborate these findings, revealing that the vast majority of prosecutions of immigrants are related to immigration law violations rather than violent or property crimes.

 

Some experts suggest that the threat of deportation deters unauthorised immigrants from engaging in criminal activity, further reducing crime rates in communities where they reside.