Despite repeated deportations under US immigration crackdowns — including scores of Indians already sent back during Donald Trump’s present tenure — Gujarat’s obsession with the American dream shows no signs of slowing.
The state continues down a dangerous, almost suicidal path, ignoring the rising toll of human lives lost in pursuit of illegal entry into the US. From freezing to death at the Canadian border to drowning in capsized boats, families from Gujarat keep paying the price — knowingly walking into peril in the hope of a better future that remains out of reach.
In a fresh reminder of the lethal risks associated with illegal migration, two children from a Patel family in Gujarat have died after a fishing boat carrying them capsized off the coast of San Diego, California, on May 5. Their father, Brijeshkumar Patel (40), is in a coma, while their mother, Jagruti (39), remains hospitalised. The family had allegedly attempted to enter the United States illegally via Mexico.
The Patel family — originally from Anandpura in Gujarat’s Mehsana district but residing in Ahmedabad’s Nana Chiloda area — had left India in October 2024 on a visitor visa to London. According to relatives, they had not disclosed any plans to cross into the US and were expected to return from the UK.
The tragedy came to light earlier this month when extended family members in Ahmedabad came across social media reports mentioning the names of two children — Prince (14) and Mahi (10) — feared drowned in the San Diego boat accident. Initially holding onto hope, the family later received confirmation from the Indian Embassy in San Francisco that the children were indeed Brijeshkumar’s.
Members of the family revealed to a national daily that Brijeshkumar had suffered huge financial losses following the Covid-19 pandemic, which severely impacted his submersible pump business. While he had remained in touch with his siblings in Gujarat, none of them were aware of any plan to illegally migrate to the United States.
Local sources in Anandpura, including a former sarpanch, indicated that the family had lived in Ahmedabad for many years and that extended relatives had travelled there upon hearing the news. They said there was no prior indication of the Patels attempting to cross the border, and that the timing was particularly dangerous, given the ongoing deportations of Indians from the U.S.
The US Attorney’s Office for Southern California confirmed that the capsized boat was a panga — a small open fishing vessel — and that three bodies were recovered, including that of Prince. Four individuals, including Brijeshkumar and Jagruti, were rescued and hospitalised. Mahi was among nine others initially unaccounted for, though eight were later apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol agents. Mahi remains missing and is feared to have drowned at sea.
Authorities in the US have charged five Mexican nationals in connection with the smuggling attempt. The accused are facing charges of “bringing in aliens resulting in death” and “bringing in aliens for financial gain,” according to court filings.
According to reports, one of them had previously been deported from the US two years ago.
In a public statement, US Attorney Adam Gordon said the deaths were a tragic reminder of how little human traffickers value lives. The Department of Justice was committed to holding those responsible accountable, he added.
In 2022, four members of a family from Dingucha froze to death while trying to cross the Canada-US border in blizzard conditions. Like Brijeshkumar, they too belonged to the Patel community of Mehsana district.
And so, despite repeated deaths, crackdowns on illegal migration, and high-profile deportations of Indians under policies introduced during former US President Donald Trump’s administration, many families from Gujarat continue to embark on dangerous and often deadly journeys in pursuit of the American dream. For the Patels, this dream has turned into a devastating nightmare, claiming the lives of two children and leaving a family shattered across two continents.
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