A horrific video has gone viral, showing an Indian student traumatised at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey.
According to reports, the student was handcuffed and pinned to the floor by officials at the Airport before being deported. The incident has ignited outrage online, with many questioning the sheer disregard for human dignity.
Reports added that the student was interrogated by at least four officers, two of whom bore down on him with their knees.
The footage was initially captured and shared by Indian-American entrepreneur Kunal Jain, who had been present during the ordeal. He reportedly described the scene as nothing short of a “human tragedy.” He had said that the young man, evidently distressed and sobbing, was treated no differently than a criminal — despite merely chasing his dreams.
He also urged the Indian Embassy in the US to step in, investigate the case, and ensure the student received due assistance.
In response to the widespread backlash, the Indian Consulate in New York broke its silence a day later. The Consulate acknowledged having come across social media posts about an Indian national who had faced serious trouble at Newark Airport.
They said they were in touch with local authorities and reaffirmed their commitment to the welfare of Indian citizens abroad. However, their response did little to stem the tide of public fury, which had already begun comparing the incident to prior episodes of immigration brutality.
Delving deeper into the scene at the airport, Kunal Jain recounted that around 50 bystanders had witnessed the commotion but were either too shocked or afraid to intervene. He alleged that the student had appeared disoriented, perhaps even mildly aggressive, which might have prompted the authorities to restrain him.
The student was reportedly speaking in Haryanvi — a dialect the officers did not understand — leading to a severe breakdown in communication. He claimed he had offered to assist with translation but was denied by a police officer, who instead chose to summon additional law enforcement personnel.
The escalation was rapid and unsettling. He said that once the airline pilot was informed of the student’s erratic behaviour, the decision was made not to allow him on board. Immediately after, the officials overpowered the man, restraining him publicly in full view of passengers. He recounted that as more officers arrived — seven or eight in total — they cleared out the boarding queue, tied the student’s limbs, and held him down with force so overwhelming it moved him to tears.
The student, according to the witness, cried out in Hindi that he was not insane — claiming that the authorities were attempting to make him look mentally unstable. “Mai pagal nahi hu, yeh mujhe pagal bana rahe hai… yeh mujhe pagal sabit kar rahe hai,” he had reportedly shouted — a desperate plea lost in translation.
Kunal Jain felt that something must have transpired at the port of entry — perhaps the immigration officials found the student’s behaviour troubling, leading to a visa denial. But he emphasised that regardless of the decision, the treatment meted out was humiliating and devoid of basic respect. He noted that such officials typically maintain the person’s dignity even during deportation, but in this case, the student was stripped of it entirely.
This incident has drawn chilling parallels to earlier deportation episodes under the Trump administration. In February, over 100 Indians were flown back from the US with their hands cuffed and feet shackled — a dehumanising spectacle that triggered fury back home. Videos released by the US Border Patrol showed the deportees disembarking in a shackled shuffle — an image usually reserved for hardened criminals.
At the time, India’s Opposition had lambasted the government, questioning why the Centre had failed to repatriate its citizens with dignity and decency.
Now, history seems to be repeating itself — with another Indian life caught in the jaws of a ruthless immigration system, and with yet another unanswered question hanging in the air: When will dignity be restored to those who leave home to dream?
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