India’s Parliament was thrown into chaos as opposition lawmakers protested the alleged mistreatment of 104 Indian deportees who were flown back from the United States. The deportation, carried out using a U.S. military aircraft, marked a significant shift in enforcement tactics under the Trump administration.
Opposition members, including Renuka Chowdhury and Gaurav Gogoi, described the conditions of the deportees as inhumane, alleging that they were handcuffed, shackled, and even struggled to access basic facilities during the flight. The protests disrupted proceedings, leading to the adjournment of Parliament as members demanded a debate on the issue.
First-Hand Accounts of Harsh Treatment
Several deportees came forward with accounts of their distressing experience. Jaspal Singh, one of those deported, revealed that their shackles were only removed upon arrival in Amritsar. Another deportee, Harvinder Singh, claimed that they were kept restrained for 40 hours and not allowed to move, describing the journey as “worse than hell.”
These testimonies fueled public outrage, drawing parallels to a similar controversy in Brazil, where the government had sought an explanation from the U.S. over the treatment of deportees on a January 25 flight. The outcry in India intensified as activists and politicians called for greater scrutiny of deportation procedures.
India Protests U.S. Deportation of 104 Nationals Amid Allegations of Inhumane TreatmentUnlike previous U.S. deportation methods that relied on commercial or chartered flights, the Trump administration’s increasing use of military aircraft for deportations has sparked debate. This shift has affected several countries, including Guatemala, Ecuador, and now India.
While U.S. authorities justify the practice as a security measure, the move has raised questions about whether the Indian government was consulted or aware of the conditions in which its citizens were being transported. Reports indicate that Amritsar had already received three deportation flights last year, highlighting an emerging trend in U.S. immigration enforcement.
Political and Diplomatic Reactions
The incident prompted a strong response from Indian political leaders. Rahul Gandhi led protests outside Parliament, symbolically wearing handcuffs and holding placards with slogans like “Humans, not prisoners.” He also shared a video of a deportee’s testimony to highlight the issue on social media.
However, External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar defended the U.S. deportation protocols, stating that the use of restraints has been standard practice since 2012 and that women and children were not subjected to such treatment. He assured lawmakers that India was engaging with the U.S. to ensure humane treatment for deportees in the future.
The deportation controversy comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington, where he is expected to discuss immigration and trade relations with President Trump.
Meanwhile, statistics indicate a sharp rise in Indian migrants attempting to enter the U.S. illegally, with more than 14,000 arrested at the Canadian border and over 25,000 at the Mexican border in the past year. As deportations increase and tensions grow, the treatment of Indian migrants in the U.S. is likely to remain a major issue in bilateral discussions between the two nations.