As President Trump started his second term, his administration swiftly initiated immigration enforcement actions, resulting in the arrest of 538 immigrants and the deportation of hundreds. This marks the inception of the most extensive deportation exercise in US history.
Deportation, as a media report explains, is removing non-citizens from a country, especially those who violate immigration laws. The violations may range from criminal activities to failure to honour visa regulations or a threat to the nation’s security.
Typically, deportation starts with detention, which may occur before either their deportation or any legal proceedings questioning their immigration status.
The media report elaborates that the Department of Homeland Security is authorised to carry out “expedited removal” processes by the US Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). This clause specifically targets people who violate the conditions of their visas or enter the country without proper papers.
The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 created this quick removal procedure, which streamlines the application of immigration rules by permitting the speedy deportation of specific foreigners.
On account of these rules, a sizable portion of Indian nationals are currently in danger of being deported. Numerous of them have been caught at US ports of entry.
They may apply for voluntary departure prior to deportation, which enables them to leave the nation on their own terms as opposed to being taken by force.
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency oversees the deportations. Its air operations branch organises the logistics of these deportations, including utilisation of charter flights for potentially risky situations.
The report highlights that more than 20,000 undocumented Indian nationals face deportation as of November 2024, and many of them are already facing final removal orders or are incarcerated in detention centres around the US.
In recent years, there has been a noticeable rise in the trend of deportations involving Indian citizens. In 2024 alone, the total number of Indian deportations reached 1,529, a notable rise compared to 517 deportations of Chinese nationals and 1,855 Brazilians.
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