Soaring Illegal Immigration of Indians into the United States
Illegal immigration from India to the United States is soaring. A record 96,917 Indians were detained while attempting to enter the US illegally from October 2022 to September 2023, representing a 50% jump from the corresponding period in the prior year. Vast majority of the arrested Indians came from Prime Minister Modi's state of Gujarat while others came from the state of Punjab. There are about 725,000 undocumented Indian immigrants in the US – the third-largest population of illegal immigrants after Mexicans and El Salvadorans – according to a Pew Research Centre report.
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| Illegal Immigration to the US From India. Source: Strait Times |
The number of Indians attempting to cross into the United States illegally has accelerated in recent years on Prime Minister Modi's watch. These immigrants take the Latin American route to reach the US-Mexico border before making a run for the US. They cross the Darien Gap, a dangerous thick forest region between Colombia and Panama, taking three days to a week while taking huge risks ranging from lack of food and drinking water, wild animals and violent gangs.
There are multiple drivers of mass illegal migration of Indians to other countries. These include increasing violence under Mr. Modi's Hindutva rule and lack of jobs for thee growing working-age population. Human traffickers are exploiting these conditions to profit from vulnerable groups most impacted by political and economic problems in the country.
Christians, low caste Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs are among the main targets of the far-right Hindu mob attacks across India. In 2023, the Modi government’s discriminatory and divisive policies led to growing violence against minorities, creating a pervasive environment of fear and a chilling effect on government critics, Human Rights Watch said in its World Report 2024.
India's labor force participation rate (LPR) has been declining for several years. Centre For Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) data shows that the labor participation rate fell to 39.5% in 2022-23, from an already low 40.1% in 2021-22. This indicates that more than half of India’s working age population is not employed. This is especially the case for women 90% of whom are out of the labor force. India’s LPR is among the lowest in the world. The global average LPR is 60%.
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| Labor Participation Rate in India. Source: CMIE Via Reuters |
The rapid GDP growth claimed by India is not creating enough jobs for its massive young population. The much-hyped "Make in India" initiative of the Modi government is just not working well enough to keep pace with the demand for jobs. Manufacturing’s contribution to India’s GDP has declined from 17% two decades ago to just 13% in 2022, according to the World Bank. India has added only 5 million factory jobs since Mr. Modi was first elected, for a total of 65 million such jobs now, according to the Wall Street Journal. Unable to find jobs in cities, a very large number of Indians are going back to subsistence farming to eke out a meager living.
Indian economist Ritesh Kumar recently wrote a piece for Nikkei Asia titled "Few are benefiting from India's rapid GDP growth". His conclusion: What India really needs is a growth trajectory that is inclusive, sustainable and can foster shared prosperity across all segments of the economy rather than benefiting only a privileged few.
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Riaz Haq's Youtube Channel
Riaz Haq
Arif Rafiq
@ArifCRafiq
Vivek is apparently going to be sending a lot of Indians back home:
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/11/16/what-we-know-abo...
https://x.com/ArifCRafiq/status/1813373927739048264
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https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/11/16/what-we-know-abo...
After Mexico, the countries of origin with the largest unauthorized immigrant populations in the U.S. in 2021 were:
El Salvador (800,000)
India (725,000)
Guatemala (700,000)
Honduras (525,000)
India, Guatemala and Honduras all saw increases from 2017.
Jul 16, 2024
Riaz Haq
US Sends Back Illegal Indian Immigrants On Chartered Flight Ahead Of PollsThe charter flight was sent to India on October 22, the Department of Homeland Security said on Friday.
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/us-sends-back-illegal-indian-immigr...
Washington:
The US hired a chartered flight to deport Indian nationals who were staying in the country illegally, the Department of Homeland Security has said, noting that this has been done in cooperation with the Indian government.
The charter flight was sent to India on October 22, the department said on Friday. "Indian nationals without a legal basis to remain in the United States are subject to swift removal, and intending migrants should not fall for the lies of smugglers who proclaim otherwise," said Kristie A. Canegallo, a senior official performing the duties of Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security.
The statement said the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues to enforce US immigration laws and deliver tough consequences for those who enter unlawfully and encourages the use of lawful pathways.
Since June 2024, when the Securing the Border Presidential Proclamation and accompanying Interim Final Rule went into effect, encounters between ports of entry along the southwest border of the US have decreased by 55 per cent.
In fiscal year 2024, the DHS removed or returned over 160,000 individuals and operated more than 495 international repatriation flights to more than 145 countries, including India, the statement said.
It said the department regularly engaged with foreign governments throughout the hemisphere and around the world to accept repatriations of their nationals without a legal basis to remain in the US.
This was one tool among many that the US used to reduce irregular migration, promote the use of safe, lawful and orderly pathways, and hold transnational criminal networks accountable for smuggling and exploitation of vulnerable people, it said.
Over the last year, DHS has removed individuals from a range of countries worldwide, including Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Egypt, Mauritania, Senegal, Uzbekistan, China, and India.
Oct 26, 2024
Riaz Haq
Ashok Swain
@ashoswai
If India has become a land of milk and honey under Modi’s 11years of rule, why Indians, mostly Gujaratis, ‘using’ their kids to flee to the United States?
https://x.com/ashoswai/status/1916887838291067061
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Indian migrants are 'abandoning' their minor children at US borders - Here's why - World News | The Financial Express
https://www.financialexpress.com/world-news/indian-migrants-are-aba...
The horrifying trend has gained momentum in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic --- with data showing that at least 77 unaccompanied minors were apprehended by border security between October 2024 and February 2025 (Photo: AP)
An increasing number of Indian children have been found ‘abandoned’ at the US borders in recent years by families hoping to score green cards. The horrifying trend has gained momentum in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic — with data showing that at least 77 unaccompanied minors were apprehended by border security between October 2024 and February 2025. Meanwhile the Donald Trump-administration is reportedly planning to seek out unaccompanied immigrant children to deport or prosecute them amid a sweeping crackdown on immigration.
According to a Times of India report, several Gujarati families have admitted to following this route of deliberate abandonment in order to secure green cards. A notable case cited by the publication pertained to a couple from Mehsana where the father (a lawyer) shared how he and his wife had moved to Atlanta illegally amid the pandemic — leaving their two-year-old son in India. Three years later the toddler was brought to the US by a cousin (also travelling illegally) and abandoned at the border near Texas with only a note outlining contact details.
In most cases the children are somewhat older — ranging from 12 to 17 — and find themselves abandoned at the US-Mexico border. Official data indicates that 22 children (out of 77) were caught taking the difficult route via Canada while a few others were intercepted within the country. The children act like ‘green cards’ — creating an opportunity for the parents to seek refuge on ‘humanitarian grounds’.
“I knew they were not going to be in danger. They were with my friends and relatives…and they were ultimately going to be in the custody of US law agencies….We can’t wait till our kids complete their studies in India and then opt for legal ways to enter the US. If they are there already when they are young, they can complete their studies, find a job and earn decent money,” a man from Gujarat told ToI.
But as the Trump administration continues to harden its stance on migration, such children might soon face deportation or criminal cases. According to report by The Guardian, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials may now be seeking out unaccompanied immigrant children across the US for such reasons while conducting ‘welfare visits’. Legal advice provided to unaccompanied minors has also been slashed this year — with funds not flowing despite court intervention. The federal agency monitoring unaccompanied immigrant children has also reportedly begun sharing sensitive data with ICE.
Apr 28