1,076 Indians Deported From US So Far In 2026; MEA Says Working With Washington On Illegal Migration

New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday that 1,076 Indian nationals have been deported from the United States so far in 2026, down from 3,567 in 2025. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India and the US are working together to reduce illegal migration while protecting lawful travel.

Jaiswal said both countries are in regular discussions to balance migration controls with legitimate movement for work, study and other reasons. “So far this year, 1,076 Indian citizens have been deported from the US, whereas last year the figure stood at 3,567. Discussions regarding migration and mobility are underway between the two sides,” he said.

Recent US Enforcement

The MEA pointed to recent US enforcement actions. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 26-year-old Indian national Parminderpal Singh in Los Angeles on May 21. ICE Los Angeles posted on X: “ICE Los Angeles arrested Parminderpal Singh, 26, of India, on May 21. Singh’s criminal record includes vehicle theft, grand theft, trespassing, and vandalism. He is in ICE custody pending removal.”

Meanwhile, US Customs and Border Protection said Border Patrol agents in Arizona detained 52 people during ‘Operation Checkmate’ from May 11 to 15. Reports said about 30 of those arrested were Indian nationals, many driving commercial semi-trucks, and are expected to face deportation proceedings, as reported by Bussiness.

India’s Position On Returns

India maintains it supports legal migration and cooperates on returning undocumented nationals after verifying nationality. Jaiswal had said in September 2025: “Whenever there is a person who does not possess a legal status in any country, and he or she is referred to us with documents, and if there are claims that he or she is an Indian national, we do the background check, confirm the nationality and then we are in a position to take them back… This has been happening with deportations from the United States.”

Treatment Concerns

Deportations have raised concerns about how returnees are treated. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar told Parliament last year that New Delhi has urged US authorities to ensure deported Indians are treated with dignity and that women and children are not restrained on deportation flights. Those requests followed reports of alleged mistreatment of elderly deportees and claims that women and children were shackled on a flight. India and the US remain in contact on deportation, migration and mobility while aiming to protect legitimate travel and people-to-people ties.