SRINAGAR: As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office next month, his administration is intensifying efforts to enforce stricter immigration policies, with a particular focus on deporting undocumented immigrants.
According to data released by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), nearly 18,000 Indian nationals are among 1.45 million individuals facing potential deportation, The Hindustan Times reported. This marks a significant escalation in the administration’s push to remove immigrants who are in the country unlawfully, particularly as the focus shifts from border control to enforcement within US borders.
The 18,000 Indian nationals listed by ICE are included in the agency’s non-detained docket, which refers to individuals with final orders of removal who are not currently in custody but are awaiting deportation. Many of these undocumented immigrants have been caught in a lengthy and complex legal process, with some waiting for years for their cases to be heard. This highlights a broader issue in US immigration courts, which are overwhelmed with backlogged cases.
India, which ranks 13th in Asia for undocumented immigrants in the United States, has seen a sharp increase in the number of its citizens attempting to enter the US illegally. ICE reports that over the past three years, approximately 90,000 Indian nationals have been apprehended at the US border for attempting to enter illegally, according to The Hindu. Many of these migrants are from Indian states such as Punjab, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh, regions that have been known to contribute significantly to the flow of irregular immigration to the US.
The situation is compounded by the fact that many Indian nationals attempting to enter the US unlawfully are using Latin American countries like Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala as transit points, taking advantage of visa-free agreements that allow Indian citizens to stay for extended periods in these nations. From there, many attempt to cross the US-Mexico border, often relying on dangerous human trafficking networks to complete the journey, The Hindu reported. The United States has already repatriated over 1,100 Indian nationals through charter flights, with the latest flight landing in Punjab, signalling the high volume of illegal immigration from this region, according to the Hindustan Times.
Despite the focus on Latin American migrants in past administrations, India has increasingly become a focal point in the US’s immigration policy. In November 2024, ICE revealed that India is now considered one of 15 “uncooperative” countries when it comes to deportation efforts. This designation reflects difficulties in conducting deportations, including the need for timely issuance of travel documents and cooperation with foreign governments to accept the return of nationals, the Hindustan Times added.
The Trump administration’s plan to ramp up immigration enforcement includes expanding detention facilities, a move that has already raised concerns among critics of the president’s policies. The incoming administration is preparing executive actions that aim to reverse many of the more lenient immigration policies implemented by President Joe Biden’s administration. These could include the return of the controversial “Remain in Mexico” programme, which requires asylum seekers to stay in Mexico while their immigration proceedings unfold in the US. There are also plans to revoke protections for migrants granted humanitarian parole under Biden’s policies and to increase deportations, with detention becoming mandatory for many individuals, according to CNN.
While Trump has not specifically targeted Indian nationals, his broader anti-immigration stance has led to growing concerns about the impact on immigrants from India. During his first term, Trump had already increased the rate of denial for H1B visas, which are commonly sought by Indian professionals, and the immigration community in the US was already feeling the pressure of his policies. With the return to hardline immigration measures, experts anticipate that the Indian community could face significant challenges, particularly as deportations ramp up, according to The Hindu.
Trump’s approach to immigration also focuses on the economic implications of undocumented migration, which he argues takes jobs away from American citizens. This has been one of the core arguments of his immigration agenda, which seeks to curb the flow of immigrants into the US to protect the American labour market. In addition to deportations, Trump’s team is preparing to consider the construction of new detention facilities in metropolitan areas and the reactivation of family detention, a practice that was discontinued by the Biden administration but is now being reconsidered as part of Trump’s comprehensive immigration crackdown, according to the CNN.
The pressure on Indian nationals seeking to enter the US lawfully is also increasing. Legal avenues such as employment-based immigrant visas, which are capped at 140,000 per year, have become more competitive, and many who might have once qualified are finding it increasingly difficult to navigate the immigration system. The backlog in processing times for work visas has only compounded the issue, with many individuals forced to wait years before their applications are processed, The Hindu revealed.
As the Trump administration moves forward with its immigration crackdown, the Indian community is left to navigate a complex and uncertain landscape. With 18,000 Indians facing the threat of deportation and many others struggling to enter the US through legal channels, the next few years promise to bring significant challenges for Indian immigrants. As the administration shifts its focus to interior enforcement and mass deportations, the outcome of these policies will likely have long-lasting implications for the Indian diaspora in the US and the broader immigration system.
