The US deported 104 Indians, including 19 women and 13 minors, on February 5, 2025 as all of them were handcuffed and their feet tied with ropes for about 36-40 hours!

It may be noted that Donald John Trump took a tough stance against illegal immigration ahead of the 2024 US Presidential Election. He has kept his promise after becoming the 47th US President. However, the method of keeping the promise is inherently inhumane just like his temperament. Hence, the 104 Indian nationals returned home like convicted criminals.

Unfortunately, Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, the Indian Minister of External Affairs, has made an attempt to justify the ill treatment of the US with the Indian citizens, telling the Parliament that each and every country has the right to deport illegal immigrants! He has claimed that the US followed the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), although Washington DC used a C-17 Globemaster military transport aircraft, instead of a private flight, to deport the Indians. The move marks a significant step in the Trump Administration‘s immigration efforts as using a C-17 military aircraft for transport operations costs USD 28,562 per hour! The question arises here: Why is the Indian External Affairs Minister busy covering up the US Immigration Policy without giving importance to the dignity of his own countrymen?

The sole purpose of deporting illegal immigrants on a military plane at a high cost is to set an example. President Trump actually wants to send a strong message to the global community. It may be noted that the US President has been calling illegal immigrants criminals for a long time. However, the National Bureau of Economic Research and several states in the US have mentioned in their reports that there are few instances of committing crimes against the immigrants. The Trump Administration may enforce strict immigration laws, but it cannot equate immigration with heinous crimes. A number of US economists have expressed serious concern over their Government’s move, stressing that the deportation of undocumented immigrants could lead to labour shortages in different sectors.

The US could have implemented its new policy in a humane manner. However, there is a political necessity behind the display of inhumanity. It seems that such a move would help President Trump to please the supporters of Make America Great Again. With this move, the Trump Administration has also hinted that India would not get any additional benefits (from the US) in the future.

The behaviour of the Government of India is no less surprising. A tiny nation, like Colombia, has asked the US to treat its citizens in a humane manner. However, India, considered as a strategic partner of the US in Asia, has failed to handle the issue with an iron hand. Political analysts are of the opinion that New Delhi maintains silence over fears that Washington DC might impose high tariffs on Indian goods, affecting bilateral trade ties. Perhaps, the Narendra Modi Administration forgets that it is the responsibility of a State to protect the dignity of its people, including those who live in foreign countries.

It has become quite important for India to find why some of its citizens want to migrate to other countries, instead of clarifying the moves made by the Trump Administration.

Boundless Ocean of Politics on Facebook

Boundless Ocean of Politics on Twitter

Boundless Ocean of Politics on Linkedin

Contact: kousdas@gmail.com

Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das