🔯US President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal deportation has led to 104 Indian 'illegal' immigrants being deported from the US in a military plane while being allegedly handcuffed and chained to their seats. Not just Indian immigrants but the Trump administration estimates to deport at least 11 million undocumented migrants from USA.
♑A report in Bloomberg said that the US has identified 18,000 undocumented Indian migrants to be sent back home and so far 104 of them have arrived in India and as per latest details, Foreign Secretary, Vikram Misri said that the US has notified New Delhi about "487 presumed Indian nationals" who have been issued removal orders on Friday.
𒅌USA has three main criteria which may lead to a non-citizen's deportation: visa violations, criminal activity, or posing a threat to public safety. The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency is authorised to oversee deportation. Once an individual is identified for deportation, they will be detained and after reviewing their case, they will be asked to appear in immigration court where the final decision will be made. Based on the reason for deportation, the immigrant is either given voluntary departure or their removals are expedited by the authorities. Once a removal order is issued, deportations are usually carried out by air, with the government covering the cost, and individuals are sent back to their home countries.
🔯Within the first week of Donald Trump assuming the President's chair, the ICE arrested more than 3,500 unauthorised immigrants across the US. According to think tank Pew Research Centre, there are 11 million unauthorised immigrants living in US.
India
꧃According to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, as many as 15,668 illegal Indian immigrants have been deported to India from the US since 2009. Recently while addressing Rajya Sabha, Jaishnakar cited data available from Indian law enforcement authorities, saying that in 2009, 734 were deported, 799 in 2010, 597 in 2011, 530 in 2012, and 515 in 2013.
He added that in 2014 when the NDA 💜government came to power, 591 were deported, followed by 708 in 2015. In 2016, a total of 1,303 were deported, 1,024 in 2017, 1,180 in 2018.
ဣ The highest deportation was witnessed in 2019 with 2,042 illegal Indian immigrants being sent back to the country. In 2020 the deportation number was 1,889; 805 in 2021; 862 in 2022; 617 in 2023; 1,368 last year, and 104 so far this year.
💧Meanwhile, speaking of the treatment of the deportees as flagged by the opposition leaders in the country, Jaishankar said that ICE organises these deportations following "the standard operating procedure for deportations by aircraft used by ICE that is effective from 2012, provides for the use of restraints".
💟"However, we have been informed by ICE that women and children are not restrained," he added.
Further, the needs of deportees during transit related to food 𒅌and other necessities, including possible medical emergencies are attended to," he informed the house.
ཧDuring toilet breaks deportees are temporarily unrestrained if needed in that regard, he said, adding, "this is applicable to chartered civilian aircraft as well as military aircraft".
Mexico
ꦆThe Pew Research Centre has stated that as of 2022, there were more than four million illegal Mexican immigrants living in US. After assuming office, Trump declared his will close the US southern border as he signed an executive order to declare 'national emergency' in the border and also deployed 15,00 troops.
🍸On the other hand, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has said that she is ready to accept all the immigrants who are being deported as she launched a deportee support program called “Mexico Embraces You” where they aim to provide food and shelter along with documents.
༺According to Al Jazeera report, Mexico received at least 4,094 deportees deportees in the last week of January which consisted of mostly Mexican deportees but also citizens of other countries. Sheinbaum had earlier declared that Mexico will not accept other citizens.
El Salvador
൩Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele said his country would accept US deportees of any nationality, including American citizens and legal residents who are imprisoned for violent crimes.
🐈Donald Trump reportedly negotiated with El Salvador to accept deported immigrants who are not from their country and allowing them to seek asylum there. Though the agreement was in progress during Trump's first term, it was never finalised and not pursued by the Biden administration.
💞Reportedly, as of 2022, there were 750,000 unauthorised Venezuelan immigrants in the US.
Colombia
꧅A brief standoff occurred over deportation flights when Colombian President Petro refused to allow two US military planes carrying deported Colombians to land. Petro criticized the treatment of immigrants, sharing a video of restrained deportees in Brazil.
☂The situation escalated, with Trump threatening tariffs and visa restrictions, while Petro vowed to impose tariffs on US goods.
ꦜThe dispute was resolved when Colombia agreed to accept the deportees, with a presidential plane ready to assist. The first plane carrying deported Colombians landed in Bogota on January 28.
🎃The Pew Research Centre stated that at least 190,000 unauthorized Colombian immigrants lived in the US till 2022.
China
♊China had earlier declared that tey would accept immigrants who belonged to mainland China only, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Mao Ning was quoted in a report saying, "Regarding the repatriation, China’s principle is to verify first and then repatriate. We will accept Chinese citizens who are verified to be from the Chinese mainland."
ꦑThis meant that China wasn't ready to accept immigrants who are from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.
🦹The Pew Research Centre said that there were 375,000 unauthorised immigrants from China and also Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Guatemala
𓂃Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo said Wednesday his country will accept migrants from other countries who are being deported from the United States, the second deportation deal that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reached during a Central America trip that has been focused mainly on immigration.
🥃Guatemala will expand its capacity to receive not just Guatemalans, but also migrants from other countries who will then be repatriated to their home countries. The details are yet to be worked out.
ꦚ"We have agreed to increase by 40 per cent the number of flights of deportees both of our nationality as well as deportees from other nationalities,” Arévalo reportedly said.
🐈According to Pew Research centre, there were 675,000 unauthorised immigrants from Guatemala in the US till 2022.
🥂A US military aircraft carrying 64 immigrants flew from Texas and landed in Guatemala on January 27, according to Al Jazeera report. This marked the third US military flight with immigrants that Guatemala has received since January 24.
Honduras
𒐪Honduras has resisted Trump's planned deportations and President Xiomara Castro threatened to change cooperation policies, including closing a US military base, in response to mass expulsions.
🅰Castro reportedly said, “Faced with a hostile attitude of mass expulsion of our brothers, we would have to consider a change in our policies of cooperation with the United States, especially in the military arena".
ꦓHonduran Foreign Minister Enrique Reina hinted at seeking support from countries like China while acknowledging US aid, according to Al Jazeera.
💜Reportedly, From 2020 to 2023, the US provided Honduras with $785 million in aid, but Trump suspended foreign aid to all countries except Israel and Egypt.
🀅The Pew Research Centre stated that 525,000 unauthorized Honduran immigrants lived in the US as of 2022.
Brazil
🔜The Brazilian government Tuesday said it will create a reception centre for deported migrants from the United States following controversy over conditions on a recent deportation flight.
ꦗAccording to the Associated Press, that decision was made because of the possibility that more flights will follow the arrival of an initial flight to Brazil under the new Trump administration with 88 Brazilian deportees on board.
🃏A Brazilian military plane brought them to their destination, the city of Belo Horizonte in Minas Gerais on January 25.
🧸That followed dozens of flights during the Biden administration.
🦩The next day, Brazil's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it was seeking answers from Washington regarding the “degrading treatment” of nationals during the recent flight. It cited “the use of handcuffs and chains, the poor condition of the aircraft, with a broken air conditioning system, among other problems.”
💧The US Embassy declined to comment and the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency didn't respond to an email request for comment.
🎀The Pew Research Centre estimated that as of 2022, there were 230,000 unauthorised immigrants from Brazil in the US.
Philippines
ꦚAccording to Al Jazeera, officials from the Philippine embassy in Washington, DC, stated on Monday that they had not received reports of Filipinos being arrested or detained since Trump took office.
♛The Filipino ambassador to the US, Jose Manuel Romualdez, has consistently urged unauthorised Filipino immigrants to voluntarily leave the US and avoid waiting for deportation, according to Philippine media.
🌺As of 2022, Pew Research Centre estimates show there were 130,000 unauthorised immigrants from the Philippines in the US.
Venezuela
🐷US President Donald Trump's administration is ending protections that shielded roughly 350,000 Venezuelans from deportation, leaving them with two months before they lose their right to work in the US.
🤪Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's order affects 348,202 Venezuelans living in the US with Temporary Protected Status slated to expire in April. That's about half of the approximately 600,000 who have the protection. The remaining protections are set to expire at the end of September.
ওThe termination notice will be published on January 5 and go into effect 60 days later.
ꦺAccording to the Associated Press, the US doesn't have diplomatic relations with Venezuela, limiting deportation options. But Trump administration says it has made securing deportations to Venezuela a top goal.
🐭According to Pew Research centre, there were 275,000 unauthorised immigrants from Venezuela in the US till 2022.
