SALEMPURA — Daler Singh’s journey to the US began with a six-month struggle and a debt of $45,000 to an agent, only to end in a painful deportation within three weeks. Singh, along with 104 other Indians, was sent back to India by US authorities on a military plane on Wednesday, a move that aligns with President Donald Trump’s tough immigration stance but has sparked embarrassment for India as Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares for his visit to Washington next week.
“I’ve lost everything. My life’s savings are gone. My dreams are shattered,” Singh said, reflecting on his ordeal from his home in Salempura, Punjab. Singh warned others not to follow the illegal route, advising them to apply for visas instead. To raise the money for his journey, Singh mortgaged family jewelry and land, eventually paying around four million rupees ($45,700) to an agent. His journey began in Dubai, where he spent months before trekking through Mexico and crossing into the US.
Singh was detained by US authorities on January 15, and after being held for weeks, he was placed aboard a C-17 Globemaster military aircraft along with the other deportees. The group, which included men, women, and children from five Indian states, was returned to India under a heavy security presence.
The deportation was widely covered on social media, with Michael W Banks, the US Border Patrol chief, posting a video of some deportees being escorted into the plane with handcuffs and leg restraints. “This mission demonstrates our commitment to enforcing immigration laws,” he stated.
Singh described the deportation as grueling, saying that the cuffs remained on throughout the journey, even while eating. His story highlights the deep emotional and financial toll of illegal migration.
India’s Foreign Minister, S. Jaishankar, addressed the issue in Parliament, acknowledging the standard procedures for US deportations, including restraints on adult men, while noting that women and children were not subjected to the same conditions. He emphasized the importance of cracking down on illegal migration, while also working to facilitate legal travel through visa reforms.
Singh’s case is part of a broader pattern of illegal migration from India to the US, with over 15,000 deportations in the past 16 years. Among the deportees was Akashdeep Singh, who, like others, had been driven by the search for better job opportunities abroad after facing unemployment in India. His family sold land and took loans to fund his $90,000 illegal migration.
“We are sending our children abroad because there are no jobs here,” Akashdeep’s father lamented. “We want jobs for our children here, so we never have to send them away again.”
