The mass deportation of 104 undocumented Indian immigrants from the United States had sparked outrage, especially on account of how it was executed, with disregard for the dignity of those involved.
Eyewitness accounts and mind-numbing images show the deportees— which included women and children—handcuffed and bound at the feet with ropes.
Their arrival in Amritsar aboard an American military aircraft raised serious questions about the ethics of immigration enforcement practices and the human rights implications of such actions.
Now, according to the latest update, a second flight carrying more undocumented Indian immigrants, including eight from Gujarat, is set to land in Punjab. The situation invites a myriad of unsettling questions. Will this new group endure similar dehumanising treatment? Or will the US government adopt a more compassionate approach in light of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the White House?
The report also indicates that approximately 50 Gujaratis are currently held at a US detention facility, adding to the growing concerns over their conditions.
The deportees have disclosed that other Indian nationals, who are still under US custody, are being held in the very same detention facility where they were processed before being subject to deportation.
The report mentions that the C-17 Globemaster could only accommodate 12 security personnel and 104 deportees when it flew from the US to India in early February. Apparently, the remaining people held in the detention camp, including at least 50 Gujaratis, were likely to be deported in the coming days.
Adding to the complexity, a relative of a deportee from Mehsana revealed that another family member had been held at the US-Mexico border by the United States Customs and Border Patrol (USCBP) and would not be granted a hearing. Those detained after January 20, when Donald Trump assumed office as US President, would likely not receive a hearing. Instead, they will be sent directly to the detention camp and eventually flown to India.
Furthermore, it has come to light that three of the 33 Gujaratis deported earlier this month had previously attempted to enter the US illegally. Smuggled through Dubai and Mexico in 2023, they lost their way when the human trafficking network they relied on fell apart. Ultimately, the Gujaratis were captured at the US border.
They were part of a larger group of 20 who were part of the journey, fraught with high risks, around the same period. The operations were masterminded by an agent from Punjab and another from Andhra Pradesh, who arranged their initial travel from Delhi.
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