In a first of its kind event, a U.S. Air Force C-130 military aircraft has successfully flown undocumented Indian immigrants from Texas to India without ever being tracked on flight tracking websites. This is the first time that such an operation was undertaken by military aircraft. The operation is part of President Donald Trump's decision to remove illegal immigrants from the United States, targeting those from India in particular.
The flight, departed in the afternoon from San Antonio, Texas left from Ramstein, Germany at its refuelling stop headed towards India where the plane might land by tomorrow noon. According to sources it was a plan that came soon after the announcement by the government of the US of sending some of the 'unwanted" illegal immigrants mostly Indians, whose long stay on American soil didn't seem much warranted. This is part of a larger effort to reinforce the policy of stricter border control and send a clear message that illegal immigration will not be tolerated.
In a coordinated move, the U.S. military has assisted in this repatriation, which has seen undocumented immigrants being sent back to their home countries. In such locations like El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California, high traffic entry points known for the immigration influx, immigrants have been picked up here. These immigrants after deportation were taken to detention facilities and from there sent back to India. So far, this mass deportation program continues to expand as it will involve the transportation of such immigrants from different regions back into their countries.
It has caused a mixed reaction in both the United States and India. Although the Indian government has been strict in upholding the process of repatriation, there have been some critics who are concerned about the treatment of immigrants during the trip. These are some of the hard conditions that they face aboard the military planes, such as limited access to basic facilities and harsh noise levels. Most of the repatriated people have been reported to face difficulties, such as long waiting hours in detention centers and losing family ties.
However, this deportation plan will go along with Trump's broader strategy for addressing the issue of illegal immigration, which has been a mainstay of his administration. The returning undocumented immigrants in such an organized, systematic way presents a model for dealing with international illegal immigration. With further deportations anticipated, this process is being closely observed by human rights groups and political analysts.
While the Narendra Modi government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has claimed to support such operations, concerns are growing regarding the implications on India's immigration and refugee rights policy. In fact, the Indian embassy in Washington has assured the U.S. that the country will not stand in the way of deportations, especially in matters involving international norms in such procedures. This shows that the U.S.-India relations are changing and are adapting to the challenges that global migration brings.
This marked one of the key steps that the Trump administration undertook to tackle illegal immigration in the United States, particularly the undocumented Indians. The fact that the U.S. military had to take the immigrants back highlights the continuing friction between the interest of national security and the cause of human rights. The topic remains debated and continues to raise questions on account of the magnitude of the numbers involved.