Surge in Indians : An increasing number of Indians have been reportedly apprehended attempting to enter the United States without proper authorization. According to the latest data from US Customs and Border Protection (UCBP), a record-breaking number of Indians—about 97K—were arrested between October 2022 and September 2023 while attempting to cross the US border unlawfully.
The surge in Indians is increasing
This marks a significant increase, with the number of Indian nationals arrested for illegal border crossings increasing fivefold over recent years. UCBP data indicates that in the fiscal year 2019-20, about 20K Indians were apprehended, which rose to 30K in 2020-21 and further increased to 64K in 2021-22.
The majority of those arrested fall into the category of single adults. In the fiscal year 2023, 84K Indian adults entered the US illegally, with 730 unaccompanied minors among the individuals who were detained.
Senator James Lankford pointed out on Thursday that these individuals frequently embark on a multi-flight journey, which may involve layovers in nations such as France, to ultimately reach Mexico, which hosts the nearest airport. Following this, they rely on cartel-organized bus transportation to reach the border for their final leg of the journey.
Lankford underscored that a significant number of migrants, including 45K individuals from India in the current year, receive guidance from criminal cartels in Mexico.
This guidance instructs them on what to say and where to go in order to exploit the asylum system, ultimately gaining entry into the country while they await their asylum hearings.
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