Washington: The United States has deported a group of Indian migrants using a military aircraft, marking the first such operation since President Donald Trump’s return to office, a US official said Monday.
A C-17 military aircraft carrying the migrants departed for India and is expected to arrive within 24 hours, the official said.
US military role in deportations expands
Under Trump’s administration, the US military has taken on a growing role in immigration enforcement, deploying additional troops to the US-Mexico border, using military facilities to house migrants, and employing military planes for deportations.
Previous deportation flights have transported migrants to Guatemala, Peru and Honduras. However, this is the first time India has been included in the program since Trump reassumed office.
The Pentagon has begun arranging flights to deport more than 5,000 migrants detained in El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California, according to officials.
Trump, Rubio discuss immigration with Indian leaders
Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have raised concerns over illegal immigration from India in discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
Trump said he expects India to “do what is right” in accepting the return of undocumented Indian migrants.
The White House described the conversation between Trump and Modi as “productive,” saying it focused on ways to “expand and deepen” US-India cooperation.
Meanwhile, Rubio discussed “irregular immigration” with Jaishankar, who said India does not support illegal migration.
“Illegal immigration is often linked to other unlawful activities. It is neither desirable nor beneficial for our reputation. If any of our citizens are found to be in the US illegally, and we verify their citizenship, we are open to their lawful return to India,” Jaishankar said.
PNN & Agencies
