'My hopes are dashed': Illegal Indian migrants deported by US speak to BBC

October 29, 2025

Fifty-four Indian migrant workers who illegally entered the United States through dangerous smuggling routes known as the "donkey route" were recently deported and returned to their home state of Haryana. These men, aged 25-40, had invested life savings and taken substantial loans—ranging from approximately $30,000 to $67,000—to pay smuggling agents who facilitated their journeys through multiple countries including Brazil and Panama. The deportations are part of an intensified crackdown under the Trump administration that has sent over 2,400 Indians back from the US this year alone.

Who is affected

54 deported Indian migrant workers (men aged 25-40 from Haryana state, specifically Kaithal and Karnal districts)
The deportees' families and children in India who depended on financial support
Specific individuals mentioned: Harjinder Singh (farmer/cook), Naresh Kumar, and Rajat Pal
The broader Sikh community in the US (referenced in context of earlier deportations)
An estimated 725,000 undocumented Indian immigrants currently in the US
Smuggling agents who facilitated the illegal crossings

What action is being taken

The Trump administration is conducting an intense crackdown on illegal immigrants with deportation flights
The Indian government is taking continuous efforts to raise awareness on safe and legal migration
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is flagging the issue of vulnerable Indians being fooled into illegal immigration

Why it matters

This issue highlights the human cost of illegal migration, as desperate individuals from developing nations invest their entire life savings and accumulate crushing debts chasing dreams of economic prosperity abroad. The crackdown demonstrates how stricter US immigration enforcement creates devastating consequences for families who have sacrificed everything, often leaving them in worse financial and social positions than before. With Indians representing the third-largest group of undocumented immigrants in the US (approximately 725,000 as of 2022), these deportations affect a significant population and signal broader policy shifts that impact bilateral relations and vulnerable communities. The situation also exposes the exploitative nature of human smuggling networks that profit from desperate people while delivering them into legal jeopardy.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article beyond the police official's statement that "action will be taken once a complaint is received" against the smuggling agents.

Read full article from source: BBC