Over 20,000 ‘undocumented’ Indians face the threat of deportation

On his first day in office, US President Donald Trump emphasized immigration control, particularly targeting the southern border with Mexico and criminal cartels. However, this move has sparked unease in New Delhi as well. While Indians account for the majority of H-1B work visas and approximately 300,000 Indian students — the largest group from any foreign country — are studying in the US, concerns loom over the fate of over 20,000 undocumented Indians.

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If the Trump Administration proceeds with deportations, among the first to be impacted could be the 20,407 undocumented Indians as of November 2024. These individuals either have “final removal orders” or are currently in detention under US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Of this number, 17,940 Indians with “final removal orders” are not detained, while 2,467 are in detention under ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

Undocumented Indians Among Top Groups in ICE Custody Amid Deportation Challenges

This makes Indians the fourth largest group by nationality, and the first among Asians, in ICE custody. As of November 2024, the total number of non-citizens, from all countries, detained added up to over 37,000. Incidentally, ICE has named India with Iraq, South Sudan, and Bosnia-Herzegovina in the list of 15 “uncooperative” countries reluctant to accept their “undocumented’ citizens back from the US. Classification as “uncooperative,” covers: “hindering” ICE’s “removal” efforts by refusing to conduct consular interviews; refusing to accept charter removal missions; delaying removal proceedings.

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However, deportation data is often computed loosely. Sharing information on a charter flight that brought back an unspecified number of ‘undocumented’ adult Indians to Punjab last October, an assistant secretary with the Department of Homeland Security put the number of Indians repatriated through charter and commercial flights between October 2023 and September 2024 at 1,100.

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