Handcuffed and Chained: Indian Migrants Face Painful US Deportation

Indian Migrants: Hoping for a brighter future, they left their homeland with aspirations of settling in the United States. Families made unimaginable sacrifices—selling land, pawning gold, and taking loans—believing that this journey would change their lives forever. Instead, Indian migrants found themselves back in Amritsar, deported, disillusioned, and uncertain about what comes next.

In the second batch of deportees, 65 were from Punjab, 33 from Haryana, and eight from Gujarat. Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan each had two deportees, while Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir had one each. Each story carried a common theme—dreams turned into nightmares, hopes shattered, and families left in financial despair.

Indian Migrants: A Journey of Sacrifice and Heartbreak

Sourav, a 20-year-old Indian from Chandiwala village in Punjab’s Ferozepur district, left for the US on December 17, full of dreams and determination. His family spent ₹45-46 lakh, believing in a future that never materialized. After a harrowing journey through Amsterdam, Panama, and Mexico, he was caught attempting to cross the US border on January 27.

“We were kept in a detention camp for 18 days,” Sourav recounted, his voice heavy with distress. Their mobile phones were confiscated, and the reality of their situation began to sink in.

“Just a day before we were deported, we were told that we would be transferred to another camp. Instead, we were put on a plane and informed we were being sent back to India,” he said, recalling the moment his hopes were crushed.

Sourav’s journey ended in chains—his hands cuffed, his legs shackled—on a US military aircraft that brought him back to Amritsar. The contrast between his dreams of freedom and the harsh reality of deportation could not have been more painful.

The Cost of a Broken Dream for Indian Migrants

Harjit Singh from Khanowal Ghuman village in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district shared a similar fate. Along with his cousin, he embarked on this perilous journey, hoping for a better life. But instead of prosperity, they returned home as deportees, their dreams in ruins.

“We were caught crossing the US border on January 27 and kept in a detention center for 18 days. We were deported on February 13, handcuffed, and with our legs chained,” he said upon arriving home at 6 a.m.

Harjit’s family had invested ₹90 lakh in his journey, believing that he would build a future in the US. Now, that money is lost, and all that remains is disappointment.

“We were assured that we would be taken to America legally, but we were not,” he lamented, his voice filled with regret.

False Promises and Shattered Lives

Mantaj Singh, a 22-year-old Indian from Bodal village in Hoshiarpur, found himself in a similar predicament. The moment he stepped near the US border, he was caught by Border Patrol officers. Like many others, he had taken the perilous “donkey route”—a dangerous and illegal passage used by migrants seeking entry into the US.

His family had placed their trust in an agent who promised legal entry. Instead, they were deceived. Now, Mantaj is back in Punjab, struggling to understand how his dream turned into a nightmare.

In Kapurthala district’s Behbal Bahadur village, Sahil Preet Singh’s parents had sacrificed everything for their son’s future. They sold agricultural land, pawned jewelry, and borrowed heavily—spending ₹40-45 lakh—only to be left in despair.

“We were duped,” his mother, Harvinder Kaur, said tearfully. “The Punjab government must take action against the fraudulent agent who ruined our son’s future and provide him with a job.”

A Web of Deceit and Exploitation

Jaswinder Singh from Dharamkot village in Moga had left home 45 days ago. His family sold one-and-a-half acres of land, raising ₹45 lakh to send him abroad. But like so many others, he fell victim to fraudulent promises and ruthless exploitation.

The first batch of Indian migrants arrived in Amritsar on February 5, sharing eerily similar stories. They had all hoped for a new life in the United States but instead returned home empty-handed, victims of an international system that preys on desperation.

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