Chandigarh, Feb 15: In a continuation of the United States’ strict crackdown on illegal immigration, a flight carrying 119 Indian deportees is scheduled to land at Amritsar airport on Saturday night, marking the second such deportation within ten days. Official sources confirmed that the plane is expected to touch down at around 10 PM, with another similar flight anticipated on February 16.
This latest batch of deportees consists of 67 individuals from Punjab, 33 from Haryana, eight from Gujarat, three from Uttar Pradesh, two each from Goa, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan, and one each from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir.
The deportation drive has sparked political controversy, with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann accusing the BJP-led central government of deliberately targeting Punjab and defaming its people on the global stage. Speaking in Amritsar, Mann alleged that the Centre’s decision to land these deportation flights in Punjab was part of a “larger conspiracy” to tarnish the state’s reputation.
“The Centre always discriminates against Punjab. Why is Amritsar being chosen repeatedly? Why not Delhi? This is being done to malign Punjabis as if illegal migration is only our issue,” he stated.
The development comes just ten days after a US military aircraft deported 104 illegal Indian immigrants, most of whom hailed from Punjab, Gujarat, and Haryana.
Many of these deported individuals had embarked on perilous journeys through “donkey routes”—illegal and dangerous pathways used by migrants to enter the United States and Europe. In pursuit of the “American dream,” they paid lakhs of rupees to agents and human traffickers, only to be apprehended at the US border, detained, and now forcibly sent back in shackles.
Despite the grave risks, thousands of Indians, especially from Punjab, continue to explore illegal migration routes in search of better livelihoods. With deportations increasing, the crackdown by US authorities is sending a strong message—unauthorized entry will not be tolerated.
As another flight carrying deportees is expected to land soon, the debate over migration policies, political blame games, and the growing desperation among youth seeking opportunities abroad is likely to intensify in the coming days.