Among the illegal migrants in the US, Indians ranked third after Mexico and El Salvador, according to an analysis by Pew Research Center for the 2019-22 period. The report raises concerns now as the world's largest economy gears up for mass deportations of illegal immigrants.
The growing number of illegal immigrants has gained significant attention after the US President signed an executive order and began a crackdown on illegal immigrants.
Last week, the US government led by Donald Trump began the “largest mass deportation operation in history," fulfilling one of his poll promises.
There has been a significant growth in illegal immigrants in the US from India, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, and countries making up the former Soviet Union from 2019 to 2022, Pew report notes.
According to the report, Mexico accounts for the highest number of illegal immigrants in the US, with nearly 40 lakh people, followed by El Salvador at 7.5 lakh and India with 7.25 lakh immigrants.
In 2023 alone, nearly 90,000 Indians were arrested as they tried to enter the United States illegally,a New York Times report citing US government data, revealed.
However, the deportations from the United States to India were not new. Last year, more than 1,000 Indians were sent back. The Indian government is currently working with the Trump administration to deport illegal immigrants.
What Donald Trump's order states about illegal immigrants?
On January 22, Donald Trump signed an executive order that “suspends the physical entry of aliens engaged in an invasion of the United States through the southern border.”
The executive order quoted Donald Trump from 2018 where he said that, “Illegal immigration affects the lives of all Americans. Illegal immigration hurts American workers; burdens American taxpayers; and undermines public safety; and places enormous strain on local schools, hospitals, and communities in general, taking precious resources away from the poorest Americans who need them most (sic)."
“Illegal immigration costs our country billions and billions of dollars each year…And I will therefore take every lawful action at my disposal to address this crisis. And that’s what we’re doing,” he added.
Both India and the US have identified nearly 18,000 Indian illegal immigrants who were to be sent back, Bloomberg reported. However, this number could be much higher as the number of illegal immigrants living in the US is unclear.
On Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that India would take illegal migrants back if their nationality is confirmed.
The Ministry also stated that New Delhi is against illegal immigration ‘because it is linked to several forms of organised crime’.
"For Indians not just in the United States, but anywhere in the world, if they are Indian nationals and they are overstaying, or they are in a particular country without proper documentation, we will take them back provided documents are shared with us so that we can verify their nationality and that they are indeed Indians," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
Catch all the Business News , Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.