US Military Plane Flies Back Deported Migrants to India

A US military plane carrying 104 deported Indian migrants arrived in the northern Indian city of Amritsar on Wednesday, airport officials said.

Following US President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration, this is the first batch of deportees to arrive in India.

The Indians who returned home had entered the United States illegally over the years. They came mainly from the states of Punjab, Haryana and Gujarat in northern and western India, the India Today news channel reported, citing official sources.

Indian foreign ministry officials have said the country is open to returning verified Indian nationals living illegally in any country, including the US.

New Delhi says it is against illegal immigration, mainly because it is linked to various forms of organized crime, and has no objection to the US deporting its citizens.

Modi, Trump to meet in Washington
The deportation came ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's expected visit to Washington next week.

In a recent phone call, Modi discussed immigration with Trump, among other issues, and it is likely to come up again in their scheduled talks next week.

During the call, Trump also stressed the importance of India buying more American-made security equipment and fair bilateral trade.

The Pew Research Center estimates that about 725,000 Indian nationals lived illegally in the US in 2022. More are expected to be deported.

Modi and Trump have a warm relationship, and once held a massive rally in Texas in 2019 called "Howdy, Modi!"