NEW DELHI: The ministry of external affairs on Thursday confirmed that 1,080 Indian nationals have been deported from the United States since January 2025, with 62 per cent of them returning on commercial flights.
“We have close cooperation between India and the United States on migration issues, particularly on the deportation of Indian nationals who are in illegal status there or who travelled illegally,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a weekly briefing. “We take them back once we receive details about them.”
The update comes amid rising concerns over changes to US visa policies under the Trump administration. A cable obtained by Politico revealed that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered embassies to halt new student visa interviews as stricter social media vetting rules are being prepared. This directive applies to all F, M, and J category visa appointments.
While the cable reportedly makes reference to executive orders on counterterrorism and antisemitism, it does not specify the criteria for evaluating applicants' online presence. However, it signals a broader tightening of procedures that could affect thousands of Indian students seeking to study in the United States.
The MEA said it had noted reports of these new developments and emphasised that the welfare of Indian students remains “supreme” for the government. “We look at all developments regarding visas strictly. Visa issuance is a sovereign function, but we hope applications of Indian students will be assessed on merit so they can join their academic programmes on time,” Jaiswal said.
According to MEA data, around 333,000 Indian students went to the US for higher education in 2023–24.
Meanwhile, the US Embassy in India recently issued a warning on social media, stating that those who overstay their authorised period in the US risk deportation or even a permanent ban. Additionally, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has reiterated that all foreign nationals staying in the US for over 30 days must register under the Alien Registration Act, a requirement now being strictly enforced following an executive order signed by President Trump earlier this year.
“We have close cooperation between India and the United States on migration issues, particularly on the deportation of Indian nationals who are in illegal status there or who travelled illegally,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a weekly briefing. “We take them back once we receive details about them.”
The update comes amid rising concerns over changes to US visa policies under the Trump administration. A cable obtained by Politico revealed that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered embassies to halt new student visa interviews as stricter social media vetting rules are being prepared. This directive applies to all F, M, and J category visa appointments.
While the cable reportedly makes reference to executive orders on counterterrorism and antisemitism, it does not specify the criteria for evaluating applicants' online presence. However, it signals a broader tightening of procedures that could affect thousands of Indian students seeking to study in the United States.
The MEA said it had noted reports of these new developments and emphasised that the welfare of Indian students remains “supreme” for the government. “We look at all developments regarding visas strictly. Visa issuance is a sovereign function, but we hope applications of Indian students will be assessed on merit so they can join their academic programmes on time,” Jaiswal said.
According to MEA data, around 333,000 Indian students went to the US for higher education in 2023–24.
Meanwhile, the US Embassy in India recently issued a warning on social media, stating that those who overstay their authorised period in the US risk deportation or even a permanent ban. Additionally, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has reiterated that all foreign nationals staying in the US for over 30 days must register under the Alien Registration Act, a requirement now being strictly enforced following an executive order signed by President Trump earlier this year.
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