(Image source from: Msn.com)

President-elect Donald Trump takes office next month, and his administration is already ramping up efforts to tighten immigration policies. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has released data showing that 18,000 undocumented Indians are among the 1.45 million people deported from the United States. "Deporting undocumented immigrants is at the heart of Trump's border security agenda," ICE said. According to data released by ICE in November 2024, there are 17,940 Indians on the agency's detainer list. This includes people who are not in ICE custody but have received a final deportation order. Many undocumented Indians find themselves in a complicated and lengthy legal process, with some having to wait up to three years for their cases to be heard.

The report notes that India is one of the 15 countries found to be "uncooperative" in the extradition process and is currently seeking appropriate action. “Conducting interviews, issuing travel documents in a timely manner, and physically repatriating its citizens on scheduled or charter flights in accordance with ICE and/or foreign government deportation policies,” the ICE document states. In the past three years, an average of 90,000 Indians were arrested at the US border for trying to enter the country illegally. Experts note that the lion's share of migrants come from Indian states such as Punjab, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. The ICE report highlights that the majority of illegal immigrants coming to the United States come from countries close to the United States' borders. Honduras ranks first with 261,000 undocumented people, followed by Guatemala with 253,000. In Asia, China leads with 37,908 illegal migrants, while India ranks 13th with 17,940.