Fifty-four Indians, almost everyone from Haryana, were deported from the United States over the weekend for allegedly entering the country through an illegal route, also known as the “donkey route.” The group arrived at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Sunday, officials confirmed, according to ANI.
54 Indians deported from the US
According to police, around 50 individuals who were deported belong to Haryana. Of them, 16 belonged to Karnal, 15 to Kaithal, 5 to Ambala, 4 each to Yamunanagar and Kurukshetra, three to Jind, two to Sonipat, and one each from Panchkula, Panipat, Rohtak, and Fatehabad, ANI reported.
These young men, all aged between 25 and 40 years old, were handed over to their families after verification. According to police, no formal complaints have been received against any travel agents who may have arranged their illegal passage.
The mass deportation comes amid an immigration crackdown in the US under the Trump administration. For months now, the ICE has been carrying out aggressive raids in different parts of the country. As of August 2025, nearly 1,700 Indian nationals had been deported from the US, with the majority from Punjab and Haryana.
Officials in Washington said these actions come amid efforts to dismantle transnational human smuggling networks, often referred to as the “donkey route.” The illegal route involves risky travel through multiple countries to reach the US southern border.
Just days before deportation, an Indian was arrested in California and was reportedly involved in a deadly highway crash that killed three people. The accused, 21-year-old Jashanpreet Singh, had entered the US illegally in 2022 via the southern border.
Police warn against taking ‘donkey routes’
Karnal DSP Sandeep Kumar confirmed the report. Speaking to ANI, he said, “Today, more Indians were deported from the United States, including around 50 from Haryana. Of these, approximately 16 are from Karnal district. These individuals entered the US illegally through the ‘donkey route’ and were deported today.”
He added that all deported individuals have been reunited with their families. “No complaint has been received regarding any agent so far. We strongly advise people not to try to go abroad through illegal means, as it only creates bigger problems later. The investigation is ongoing, and if anyone among the deportees has a criminal record, it will come out during the process,” Kumar said.
