WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — A U.S. military aircraft carrying deported migrants has departed for India, marking the farthest destination for such flights under the Trump administration’s immigration policies, a U.S. official said.
The C-17 military transport plane, operated by the U.S. Air Force, departed with an unknown number of migrants and was due to arrive in India within 24 hours, an official said on condition of anonymity to Reuters. This is the latest in the administration’s efforts to expel undocumented migrants, a process that has increasingly used military resources.
The Pentagon has already employed military aircraft to expel migrants to Guatemala, Peru, and Honduras, and arranged flights for over 5,000 migrants from detention centers in El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California. Deporting migrants to India is an expansion of these operations to greater distances, reflecting the administration’s increased stance on immigration enforcement.
Military flights are a costly method of deportation. According to Reuters, a recent military deportation flight to Guatemala cost approximately $4,675 per migrant. Despite the high costs, the administration continues to justify these efforts as necessary for national security and immigration enforcement.
India has agreed to cooperate with the U.S. on illegal immigration. Randhir Jaiswal, spokesman for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, said New Delhi opposes illegal immigration because it is associated with organized crime and will accept deported nationals after identification.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, in fiscal year 2024, U.S. authorities deported more than 1,100 Indian nationals. Though most deportations involve migrants from the Western Hemisphere, officials note a steady increase in Indian nationals attempting to enter the U.S. unlawfully.
American officials call for increased public education to discourage irregular migration and human trafficking of migrants by human smugglers. “We need to make sure people know the dangers of irregular migration and legal options,” said Royce Bernstein Murray, assistant secretary for border and immigration policy.
