Nearly 2,800 Indians deported from the US this year, says MEA

At least 2,790 Indian nationals who were illegally residing in the United States have been deported and returned to India since January this year, the government confirmed on Thursday, 30 October.

Addressing the media, external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that all individuals had been verified as Indian nationals before being repatriated.

“Since January of this year, we have had around 2,790-plus Indian nationals who did not meet the criteria to stay in the United States. They were illegally residing there. After verifying their credentials and nationality, they have returned. This is the status till 29 October,” Jaiswal told reporters at his weekly briefing.

He added that around 100 Indian nationals had also been deported from the United Kingdom in 2025 after their identities were confirmed by Indian authorities.

The remarks come amid a surge in immigration enforcement in the United States. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), two million illegal migrants have either been removed or have self-deported since 20 January, coinciding with President Donald Trump’s return to office.

DHS said the administration is on track to deport nearly 600,000 individuals by the end of the year, marking what could be the highest number of deportations in US history. Of the total, an estimated 1.6 million have voluntarily left the country, while more than 400,000 have been formally deported.

“The numbers don’t lie, two million illegal aliens have been removed or self-deported in just 250 days, proving that President Trump’s policies and Secretary Noem’s leadership are making American communities safer,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in a statement.

She added that immigration enforcement has been “ramped up to target the worst offenders,” sending a clear warning to those in the country illegally to “self-deport or face arrest and removal.”

DHS officials have asserted that “the era of open borders is over,” with US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reporting zero releases of illegal migrants into the country for the past four months. The department claims the strict enforcement measures have deterred new illegal crossings.

A United Nations study cited by DHS found that Trump’s immigration policies have led to a 97% reduction in northbound migration from Central America. Nearly half of those who abandoned their journey reportedly did so due to fears of detention or deportation under the tougher US policies.

In a bid to sustain the crackdown, the Trump administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” has accelerated hiring across Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), with more than 150,000 new applications reportedly received in recent weeks.

DHS is also expanding its network of detention facilities, with new centres planned across multiple states and over 1,000 287(g) agreements signed to empower local law enforcement agencies to assist in immigration enforcement.

Meanwhile, Indian authorities continue to coordinate with their US counterparts to ensure due verification and humane repatriation of Indian nationals facing deportation.

“Each case is handled through established diplomatic channels to confirm nationality and facilitate safe return,” Jaiswal said.

With PTI inputs