File picture of the U.S. Air Force aircraft carrying Indian migrants deported from the United States, landing at the Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport in Amritsar, Punjab
| Photo Credit: Narinder Nanu
A plane carrying 119 illegal immigrants from the U.S. will land at the Amritsar airport tonight (February 15, 2025) at 10 p.m., the second such batch of Indians to be deported by the Donald Trump administration as part of its promised crackdown on illegal migration.
A third plane carrying deportees is also expected to land on Sunday (February 16).
Among the 119 deportees returning today, 67 are 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 and Kashmir.
On February 5, a US military aircraft carrying 104 illegal Indian immigrants landed at the Amritsar airport. Of them, 33 each were from Haryana and Gujarat, and 30 from Punjab.
Manish Tewari backs Punjab CM’s remarks
Congress MP Manish Tewari on Saturday supported Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s remarks on the arrival of the second flight in Amritsar. Speaking to ANI, Mr. Tewari asserted that the Central government could have landed the plane anywhere in the country but chose Amritsar to humiliate Punjab.
“Why are these planes landing in Punjab? What is the kind of message you’re trying to send? Are you trying to send a message that every illegal immigrant to the USA is from Punjab? Punjab CM is absolutely correct to that extent. There were people from Gujarat and Haryana. You could have landed this plane in Delhi or anywhere else. Why in Amritsar all the time?” he said.
‘A test for Indian diplomacy’: Chidambaram
Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Saturday said that the arrival of a second U.S. aircraft would be a “test” for Indian diplomacy.
In a post on X, Mr. Chidambaram said, “All eyes will be on the U.S. aircraft which will land today in Amritsar bringing back illegal immigrants. Will the deportees be handcuffed and their legs tied with ropes? It is a test for Indian diplomacy.”
(With inputs from PTI, ANI)
Published – February 15, 2025 11:59 am IST