Though the ministry did not specify the reasons behind the deportations, the figure reflects a sharp uptick in removals under the Trump administration’s renewed focus on immigration enforcement…reports Asian Lite News
More than 1,500 Indian nationals have been deported from the United States since President Donald Trump began his second term in office in January 2025, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed on Thursday.
Addressing the media at the weekly briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “Since 20 January of this year, till yesterday, some 1,563 Indian nationals have been deported from the United States so far. Most of these Indian nationals have come by commercial flight.”
Though the ministry did not specify the reasons behind the deportations, the figure reflects a sharp uptick in removals under the Trump administration’s renewed focus on immigration enforcement. During his first term, Trump had similarly emphasised stricter immigration controls, particularly targeting undocumented individuals and asylum seekers.
Jaiswal also addressed recent reports of arrests involving Indian nationals in the US. He confirmed the ministry was aware of cases including an Indian national arrested in Washington over alleged possession of child pornography, and another tourist accused of shoplifting. While not commenting on individual cases, Jaiswal offered a broader message.
“These are matters of law and order,” he said. “We would always advise Indian nationals going abroad to follow local laws, guidelines and regulations.” He reiterated the ministry’s consistent advisory for overseas travellers: “Our constant request to all our people who go abroad is that they should follow the law and order of that country, and create a good image of the country.”
Meanwhile, discussions on a possible India-US trade deal appear to be gaining momentum, with both sides engaged in the fifth round of bilateral negotiations.
When asked for an update, Jaiswal said, “This is a matter which is under discussion between the two sides. We will share details when something is finalised.” His remarks followed US President Trump’s comments hinting at the possibility of a new trade agreement with India, potentially to be announced in early August.
Speaking during a bilateral meeting with Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Trump said, “We have another one (deal) coming up, maybe with India… We’re in negotiation. We’re very close to a deal with India where they open it up.”
Trump added that the proposed agreement would grant American businesses better access to Indian markets, aligning it with recent deals struck with other countries such as Indonesia. He also claimed that new tariffs and trade negotiations had brought in substantial revenue to the US, calling August 1 a “very substantial day” for incoming trade money.
Indian officials confirmed that a delegation is currently in the US to advance trade talks based on the framework set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Trump. “Our team is back in the US for carrying out the fifth round of negotiations… the agreement is progressing as per the decisions of our leaders,” government sources said.
If finalised, the trade deal is expected to reduce tariffs and improve bilateral market access, possibly signalling a major reset in India-US economic relations after years of stalled talks and tariff disputes.
