The Indian government has voiced serious concerns to Washington after more than 1,700 of its citizens were deported from the United States in just over six months since Donald Trump returned to the White House.
The wave of deportations, coupled with new hurdles for Indian students seeking visas, has brought fresh strains to Indo–US relations.
According to figures presented in Parliament by Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, between January 20 and July 22 this year, the US sent back 1,703 Indian nationals.
Of these, 1,562 were men and 141 women. Punjab recorded the highest number of deportees at 620, followed by Haryana with 604 and Gujarat with 245.
The deportations were carried out through a mix of government-chartered and commercial flights. Singh revealed that 333 Indians were returned aboard US Customs and Border Protection military flights on February 5, 15, and 16.
Three chartered flights operated by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement repatriated another 231 people in March and June, while 300 deportees were flown back in July via Department of Homeland Security charters.
Commercial flights accounted for 767 returns, and an additional 72 individuals, stranded in Panama, managed to come back on tickets arranged either individually or in small groups.
From 2009 to 2024, a total of 15,564 Indian nationals have been deported from the United States, official data from the Press Information Bureau shows.
But the latest surge has drawn particular scrutiny due to the Trump administration’s aggressive push against undocumented immigrants and the treatment of those sent back.
The Indian government has raised specific concerns about the use of shackles on deportees, including women and children, as well as the handling of religious and cultural sensitivities.
Issues highlighted include the treatment of turbans worn by Sikh deportees and adherence to dietary restrictions during detention and transit. Singh confirmed these matters have been formally communicated to US authorities.
The deportation issue has emerged alongside another point of contention, delays in student visa processing. Since July, prospective Indian students have reported difficulty in securing appointments for F-1 and other study visas.
In Parliament, DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi questioned the government on this bottleneck, prompting Singh to outline India’s engagement with US officials on the matter.
According to Singh, the US side has acknowledged that heightened security checks for student visas have reduced the processing capacity of its embassy and consulates in India.
The additional scrutiny follows a series of campus protests across major American universities over the Israel–Hamas conflict, which the Trump administration has characterized as “anti-Semitic.”
In June, the US Department of State announced it would enhance vetting procedures, including a review of social media accounts of visa applicants, requiring them to make their profiles public.
The US has since said that student visa appointments are now open, with limited extra slots being made available through the end of August. For J-1 physician visas, a software-based prioritization system has been introduced, helping some applicants secure appointments.
The US Embassy is also preparing a “student visa fact sheet” with frequently asked questions to provide clarity and reduce uncertainty.
Despite these assurances, the delays remain a source of frustration for many in India, particularly as demand for US education continues to surge.
The 2024 Open Doors report, funded by the US Department of State, confirms that Indian students now make up the largest group of international students in America, overtaking China for the first time.
Relations between Washington and New Delhi have come under additional strain after President Trump doubled tariffs on certain imports from India to 50 per cent, citing the country’s continued importation of Russian oil.
Minister Singh stressed that the government remains committed to working with the United States to establish “mutually advantageous and secure mobility frameworks” that facilitate the legal movement of students and professionals, as well as short-term travel for tourism and business.
While official engagement between the two countries continues, the outcome will likely shape the mobility and migration landscape for thousands of Indians seeking opportunities in the United States in the coming years.
