US begins military deportation flights of illegal Indian migrants under Trump’s immigration crackdown

First US military flight deports 205 Indian migrants

In a historic move, a US military aircraft deported 205 Indian nationals as part of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on undocumented migrants. The C-17 aircraft departed from San Antonio, Texas, at around 3 AM IST, marking India as the farthest destination for US military deportation flights.

According to sources, all Indians on board were verified by the Indian government before deportation. The Pentagon has announced plans to deport over 5,000 migrants from El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California, with previous military flights sending migrants to Guatemala, Peru, and Honduras.

Trump’s military-backed deportation initiative

Trump launched military deportation flights last week under his emergency declaration on immigration, deploying six planeloads of migrants to Latin America. However, only four flights landed, as Colombia refused to accept two US C-17 cargo planes, opting instead to send its own aircraft to collect migrants.

“For the first time in history, we are locating and loading illegal aliens into military aircraft and flying them back to the places from which they came,” Trump declared last month.

India and US identify 18,000 illegal Indian migrants

During a call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Trump asserted that India would take back its illegal migrants, with Bloomberg News reporting that the US and India had identified 18,000 undocumented Indian migrants in America.

Indians represent a significant share of skilled worker H-1B visas, but Trump has made it clear that illegal immigration will not be tolerated.

Largest deportation operation in US history

Since taking office, Trump has prioritized deportations, stating on day one that he would expel “millions and millions” of undocumented migrants.

• The US Congress passed a bill mandating the detention and deportation of migrants entering the country without authorization and charged with certain crimes.
• During his campaign, Trump pledged the largest deportation operation in US history, which is now underway.

Use of military for immigration enforcement

Trump has frequently deployed the military to enforce his immigration agenda, including:

• Sending troops to the US-Mexico border.
• Housing migrants on military bases.
• Using military aircraft to deport undocumented migrants.

However, a military deportation flight to Guatemala reportedly cost $4,675 per migrant, significantly higher than:

• $853 for a first-class American Airlines ticket from El Paso.
• A lower-cost commercial charter flight arranged by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement).

Trump expands tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China

In addition to immigration measures, Trump has announced:

• New tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China, with potential tariff hikes on Europe as well.
• 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports over undocumented migrant flows and drug trafficking concerns.
• Delays in Canadian tariff hikes for one month, after Canada pledged $1.3 billion in border security measures.
• Mexico previously avoided higher tariffs by committing 10,000 troops to border enforcement.

Despite these policies, Trump remains firm on cracking down on illegal immigration, pushing for military-backed deportations and economic measures to control migrant inflows.

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