18,800 Indians deported from US since 2009, over 3,250 in 2025: MEA

The United States deported 18,822 Indians since 2009, including 3,258 persons since January 2025, the Union government said on Thursday.

More than 1,360 Indians were deported in 2024 and 617 in 2023, the Ministry of External Affairs told Parliament.

Of those deported in 2025 till November 28, about 2,000 persons were deported on commercial flights and others on charter flights operated by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement or US Customs and Border Protection.

The deportations are subject to an “unambiguous verification” of their Indian citizenship, the ministry said.

Replying to a question asked in the Rajya Sabha, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar reiterated that the government had “strongly registered” concerns with Washington about the treatment of deportees, “particularly with respect to use of shackles, especially on women and children”.

The ministry had not received any complaints about the alleged mistreatment of women and children after February 5, Jaishankar added.

Since January 2025, the Donald Trump administration has tightened immigration regulations and intensified a crackdown on undocumented migrants. In some cases, the US government used military aircraft to repatriate undocumented migrants.

The Opposition had criticised the Narendra Modi government after videos showed the Indian deportees on US military aircraft having been shackled. But Jaishankar had told the Rajya Sabha on February 6 that the persons had been shackled in keeping with past procedure.

On Thursday, the external affairs minister said that wanted criminals and gangsters who have been accused of terrorism, homicide and attempt to murder have also been removed from the US on the deportation flights. This included absconding criminals Lakhwinder Singh and Anmol Bishnoi, Jaishankar said.