India to take back 18,000 citizens from US to appease President Trump

(Bloomberg) — The Indian government stands ready to work with President Donald Trump’s administration to identify and bring back all citizens living in the United States illegally. There were early signals from New Delhi that it is prepared to follow the incoming US president and avoid a trade war. .

The two countries have confirmed that they will jointly repatriate about 18,000 illegal Indian immigrants in the United States, officials said. But the number could be much higher, given that it’s unclear how many Indian immigrants live in the U.S. illegally, said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity because the discussions are private. they added.

Like several other countries, India is working behind the scenes to appease the Trump administration and avoid bearing the brunt of trade threats. A crackdown on illegal immigration was a centerpiece of Trump’s campaign promise. Within hours of taking office on Monday, the new president moved to make good on that promise as he pushed to abolish birthright citizenship and mobilize troops to the U.S.-Mexico border.

In return for cooperation, India wants the Trump administration to protect the legal routes its citizens use to enter the United States, particularly student visas and the H-1B program for skilled workers. Indian nationals accounted for nearly three-quarters of the 386,000 H-1B visas issued in 2023, according to official data.

A laxity in the U.S.’s acceptance of illegal immigrants could also have a negative impact on India’s labor and migration agreements with other countries, officials said. In response to job shortages in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has signed migration deals with various countries in recent years, including Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Israel.

“As part of the India-US cooperation on immigration and movement, both countries are working on a process to deter illegal immigration. This is to create more avenues for legal immigration from India to the US. Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. “The recent deportation of Indian nationals from the United States on chartered flights is a result of this cooperation,” he added, referring to the October repatriation action.

India is a relatively small contributor of illegal immigration to the United States, with Indian nationals accounting for approximately 3% of all illegal immigrants encountered by U.S. Border Patrol agents in fiscal year 2024, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data. occupied. Latin American countries such as Mexico, Venezuela, and Guatemala account for a much larger share.

However, the number and proportion of illegal immigrants in India has increased slightly in recent years. Data shows the surge is particularly strong on the US’s sparse northern border, where Indians account for nearly a quarter of all illegal immigrants and the largest proportion of illegal immigrants stopped at border points. There is.

The total number of Indian illegal immigrants in the United States is uncertain, but a report released last year by the Department of Homeland Security estimated that there will be approximately 220,000 Indian illegal immigrants residing in the United States as of 2022. are.

India has already tried to show cooperation with U.S. border security efforts, including with Biden administration officials. In October, the Department of Homeland Security announced a “massive” repatriation flight of more than 100 Indians without the right to become U.S. citizens, based on the more than 1,100 Indian nationals deported in the past 12 months. announced that it had been chartered.

Mr. Modi’s goal of bringing back illegal immigrants is also to deter separatist movements abroad, such as the so-called Khalistan movement, which seeks to establish an independent Sikh state on Indian soil, according to people familiar with the discussions. Further progress is possible. India has cracked down on the movement, and authorities believe some of its supporters in the United States and Canada are illegal immigrants.

Prime Minister Modi is seen as friendly with President Trump and has welcomed the new administration, but is wary of the U.S. president’s unpredictable actions that could lead to a costly trade war. President Trump has repeatedly complained that India’s high import taxes hurt American businesses and vowed to impose reciprocal tariffs on the South Asian nation.

On his first day in office, Trump focused his attention on neighboring countries. The US president on Monday accused Mexico and Canada of “allowing huge numbers of people into our country” and said he plans to impose tariffs of up to 25% on Mexico and Canada by February 1.

President Trump complained about fentanyl and immigrants crossing the U.S. border, saying Canada in particular is a “very bad abuser.”

It is not entirely clear why the U.S. northern border has become a major entry point for illegal immigrants from India, including the suspension of visa-free travel for Indians to El Salvador in 2023. This may be because it is relatively easy to travel to Canada. According to the Niskanen Center, a Washington-based think tank, Indians say:

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