The United States has deported 54 men from Haryana for illegally entering the country via the perilous “donkey route”, arriving at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on a chartered flight on Sunday. The group, aged between 25 and 40, included 16 from Karnal, 15 from Kaithal, five from Ambala, and others from districts like Kurukshetra, Jind, and Yamuna Nagar. Local police received them at Terminal-3 and handed them over to families after verification, with no immediate complaints lodged against travel agents.

Authorities confirmed the individuals used irregular migration pathways—often involving treacherous journeys through multiple countries with forged documents and human smugglers—to reach the US. Karnal DSP Sandeep Kumar stated that the deportees were sent back under the Trump administration’s stringent immigration enforcement, which has intensified since January 2025. “Going abroad illegally leads to severe consequences,” he warned, urging youth to avoid such routes. Investigations are ongoing to identify any criminal records or agent involvement.

The deportation is part of a broader US crackdown, with hundreds of Indians returned this year for visa violations or unauthorised entry. Many from Punjab and Haryana fall prey to agents promising quick visas, only to face detention or deportation after gruelling transits via South America or the Middle East. Families expressed relief at their return but highlighted financial losses, with some paying up to ₹50 lakh per person.

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Meanwhile, in a related development, Haryana’s Special Task Force arrested Lawrence Bishnoi gang member Lakhwinder Singh, alias Lakha, upon his deportation from the US. Operating from America since 2022, he was linked to over a dozen extortion and firing cases in Haryana and Punjab. The dual actions underscore growing international cooperation against illegal migration and transnational crime networks targeting Indian youth.

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