AHMEDABAD: This year, one Indian every six hours was deported from the US, according to the 2024 annual report released by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on December 19.
The number of deported Indians rose by 400% between 2021 (292 out of 59,011 deportees) and 2024 (1,529 out of 2,71,484).
A senior official at an Indian central agency said: “Fluctuations in the numbers of removals over the years can be attributed to various factors, including changes in US immigration policies, enforcement priorities, and bilateral agreements between the US and India. The increase may rise in 2024″. “It also reflects broader immigration trends and enforcement actions targeting individuals who do not have legal status in the United States.”
During the Covid years of 2019 and 2020, under Donald Trump’s first term as President of the United States, a total of 3,928 (1,616 and 2,312, respectively) illegal Indian immigrants were returned. In comparison, in 2021 when Joe Biden took office as President of the United States, the total number of Indians deported until the release of the report in 2024 reached 3,467.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has already prepared a list of individuals scheduled for deportation, and nearly 18,000 undocumented Indians find themselves facing the prospect of being repatriated. ICE data through November 2024 shows that 17,940 Indians are among 14.4 lakh individuals on the non-detained list with final orders of removal from the United States.
