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28-10-2024
WASHINGTON: The US hired a chartered flight to deport Indian nationals who were staying in the country illegally, the Department of Homeland Security has said, noting that this has been done in cooperation with the Indian government.
The charter flight was sent to India on October 22, the department said on Friday. “Indian nationals without a legal basis to remain in the United States are subject to swift removal, and intending migrants should not fall for the lies of smugglers who proclaim otherwise,” said Kristie A. Canegallo, a senior official performing the duties of Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security.
The statement said the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues to enforce US immigration laws and deliver tough consequences for those who enter unlawfully and encourages the use of lawful pathways.
Since June 2024, when the Securing the Border Presidential Proclamation and accompanying Interim Final Rule went into effect, encounters between ports of entry along the southwest border of the US have decreased by 55 per cent.
In fiscal year 2024, the DHS removed or returned over 160,000 individuals and operated more than 495 international repatriation flights to more than 145 countries, including India, the statement said.
It said the department regularly engaged with foreign governments throughout the hemisphere and around the world to accept repatriations of their nationals without a legal basis to remain in the US.
This was one tool among many that the US used to reduce irregular migration, promote the use of safe, lawful and orderly pathways, and hold transnational criminal networks accountable for smuggling and exploitation of vulnerable people, it said.
Over the last year, DHS has removed individuals from a range of countries worldwide, including Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Egypt, Mauritania, Senegal, Uzbekistan, China, and India.
The department did not specify how many people were on the flight.
The US Customs and Border Patrol reported that it found 90,415 Indians attempting to enter the country without valid documents between October 2023 and September 2024.
Kristie A Canegallo, DHS acting deputy secretary, emphasized that “Indian nationals without a legal basis to remain in the United States are subject to swift removal” and warned against the false promises of smugglers.
“Intending migrants should not fall for the lies of smugglers who proclaim otherwise,” she said.
In a broader effort to enforce immigration laws and discourage unlawful entry, DHS said it was focused on repatriation and promoting legal migration pathways.
Since June 2024, when new immigration policies under the Securing the Border Presidential Proclamation were introduced, encounters at unauthorized border crossings in the southwest US reportedly declined by 55 per cent.
According to DHS, more than 160,000 people were deported or returned in fiscal year 2024, with over 495 repatriation flights to over 145 countries, including India. DHS continued to work with governments around the world to ensure the swift return of individuals without legal permission to stay in the US, aiming to reduce irregular migration and counter transnational smuggling operations, the department said.
The US had deported individuals from a diverse range of countries, including Colombia, Egypt, Peru and China, over the past year under ongoing enforcement measures.
The US deported a number of Indians who were illegally staying in the country, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed on Friday. (Int’l News Desk)
