According to a Reuters video, a US military aircraft carrying an undocumented Indian national score landed in North India on Wednesday morning.
There were 100 undocumented undocumented immigrants on board, a defense official with direct knowledge of the situation told NBC News.
The flight is one of the latest deportation operations that involve the use of military planes. It comes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order last month, giving the military a role in immigration enforcement and border security.
The Indian Embassy did not share details about the deportation, but during a media briefing, Randil Jaiswal, a spokesman for the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, mentioned NBC News in comments made last week. Jaiswal said the country will “sturdy against” illegal migration and will cooperate in efforts to stop the flow.
“I would like to emphasize that India-US cooperation is strong and effective in this area,” Jaiswal said.
The plane is the most commonly used C-17 aircraft that departed earlier this week and landed in Amritsar city, Punjab, which was the most commonly used C-17 aircraft for supply and military transport.
Speaking to an airport reporter, Punjab Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said he had met several young Indian citizens who had been repatriated. Despite being tired after a long journey, they looked healthy, he told the media. Dhaliwal also called on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is scheduled to visit the US next week, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is planning to work with Trump to better support those facing deportation.
“There’s a deportation or prison sword hanging on the head of the Indians who moved there,” Darywal said. “Prime Minister Modi, who supported Donald Trump during the election campaign, should use his friendship to solve the problem. What is the usefulness of this friendship if he can’t help Indian citizens in trouble? Is that so?” he said.
Trump told reporters last week that there was a “productive” call with Modi, and that India will “do the right thing” when it comes to deporting undocumented Indian immigrants.
The flight, after then-Defense Secretary Robert Sales, said last month that the Department of Defense would provide military air transport to support deportation flights for more than 5,000 undocumented migrants. Several military flights have since left the US soil, but some have come across issues on landing.
Mexico blocked US military flights carrying undocumented immigrants in late January. Colombian President Gustavo Peter initially refused to accept two military flights heading to the country. But a few days later, Columbia agreed to Trump’s terms, the White House said after the president threatened to impose swept retaliation measures against the country, including tariffs and visa sanctions.
