India verifying nationality of 295 Indians in U.S

The Indian government is checking the nationality of 295 individuals currently in U.S. custody. These people have received final orders for removal by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar shared this information with the Rajya Sabha on March 13. Between January 2025 and March 13, a total of 388 Indians have been deported back to India from the U.S. Since 2009, the U.S. has deported 15,952 Indians. In 2019, the number of deportations reached a peak of 2,042. Jaishankar noted that the Indian government currently lacks detailed information from the U.S. regarding the number of undocumented Indian immigrants. He expressed concerns over the treatment of deportees, specifically women who were shackled on a deportation flight that arrived on February 5. The U.S. authorities assured that no women or children were restrained on the subsequent flights on February 15 and 16. Of the 388 deportees in 2025, 333 were sent back directly from the U.S. in three flights, while 55 were deported via Panama. The majority of those directly deported were from Punjab, Haryana, and Gujarat. The U.S. government informed Indian authorities that detainees on the direct flights were not required to remove religious head coverings. Minister of State Pabitra Margherita stated that Indian Missions have no reliable data on the number of Indians living or working illegally in foreign countries. Countries often do not share information about illegal immigrants unless they are under deportation orders. Therefore, the exact number of Indian deportees is not known.