In a controversial incident, around 100 Indian migrants were deported from the US, kept shackled throughout their 40-hour journey, even during bathroom breaks. This has provoked significant outrage in India, particularly among lawmakers who protested outside parliament, some donning shackles themselves. The outcry coincides with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s forthcoming meeting with President Donald Trump, whom he has previously praised as a “true friend.”
Demonstrations included the youth wing of India’s opposition party burning an effigy of Trump in New Delhi, reflecting heightened tensions over the treatment of deported citizens. Punjab government minister S. Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal has called on Modi to leverage his friendship with Trump to advocate for Indian citizens’ rights, questioning the efficacy of this alliance if it fails to assist in such matters.
Among the deportees, 23-year-old Akashdeep Singh recounted their harrowing experience, detailing how they were treated like criminals and denied basic dignity during the flight. The number of undocumented Indian migrants attempting to enter the US has surged dramatically in recent years, driven largely by limited job opportunities at home. Many families invest substantial resources into facilitating these perilous journeys, hoping for a better future abroad.