SRINAGAR: The government on Thursday informed the Rajya Sabha that 18,822 Indian nationals have been deported from the United States since 2009, including 3,258 sent back between January and November 2025.
In a written reply, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said 617 Indians were deported in 2023 and 1,368 in 2024, while this year’s deportations included 2,032 individuals flown on commercial aircraft and 1,226 on chartered flights operated by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Responding to supplementaries, Jaishankar said both state governments and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) were actively pursuing human trafficking networks, with Punjab recording the highest number of cases. The NIA, he noted, has investigated 27 trafficking cases, leading to 169 arrests and 132 charge sheets. Recent arrests were made in Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.
According to information shared with the Centre, Punjab has registered 25 FIRs against 58 illegal travel agents, arresting 16 accused. Haryana has registered 2,325 cases, including 44 FIRs, and arrested 27 people. Gujarat has also apprehended a significant trafficker, Jaishankar added.
The minister said the Ministry of External Affairs remained in regular contact with US authorities to ensure humane treatment of deportees, and had raised strong concerns over the use of shackles, particularly on women and children. No such instance involving women or minors has been reported since the February 5, deportation flight, he said.
US officials, he noted, maintain that their restraining policy—operational since 2012—is part of standard procedure and is intended to ensure safety, citing past incidents of violence by deportees. They added that women and minors are generally not restrained unless deemed necessary by the overseeing flight officer.
Jaishankar said deportation flights have also returned criminals wanted in India, including individuals accused of terrorism, homicide and extortion. Investigations into illegal immigration agents and human trafficking syndicates continue based on testimonies from deportees.
Addressing the case of 73-year-old Harjit Kaur, deported on February 25, the minister said she was not handcuffed but was mistreated during detention prior to the flight. India has lodged a formal complaint with the US Embassy, seeking an inquiry into her treatment.
