US deported one Indian every three hours in 2025 so far as numbers surge

September 26, 2025

Parteek Singh Mahal

The United States has been deporting Indian nationals at a rate of one person every three hours since January 1, a significant acceleration confirmed by India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). According to data provided by the MEA, a total of 2,417 Indian individuals have been deported or repatriated from the U.S. so far in 2025.

During a press briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal addressed the dramatic increase in deportations, citing the case of 73-year-old Harjit Kaur, who was among those recently returned.

The new figures represent a stark rise compared to previous years. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Fiscal Year 2024 Annual Report, released on December 19, shows the total number of deportations that year was 1,529, marking a 400% increase from 292 individuals in 2021. The current number of deportations in 2025 (2,417) is a 58% increase over the entire 2024 total.

The data from the Trump administration’s first term also shows a pattern of rising deportations, with 3,928 removals recorded during the pandemic years of 2019 and 2020. As of November 2024, ICE reported that 17,940 Indians were among the 1.44 million individuals in the non-detained docket awaiting removal orders.

Jaiswal emphasized that India’s policy is to promote legal migration while firmly opposing illegal channels. “Whenever there is a person who does not possess a legal status in any country… we do the background check. We confirm the nationality and then we are in a position to take them back,” he explained, noting this as a standard process for U.S. deportations.

The spokesperson highlighted that the government is working closely with state governments and various ministries to crack down on fraudulent agents who facilitate illegal migration and visa fraud, as these activities “undermine our efforts to promote legal migration.” The MEA is also raising awareness through regular advisories, warning nationals about fraudulent employment opportunities, particularly in regions like Southeast Asia and Iran, and encouraging the use of the ’emigrate’ portal for authentic information on legal migration.