US begins deporting Indian migrants on military flights under Trump’s immigration policies
Washington, D.C.: USA has begun deporting Indian migrants on military flights. A US military aircraft carrying 205 Indian nationals departed from San Antonio, Texas, as part of an ongoing deportation drive under President Donald Trump's strict immigration policies. The C-17 aircraft left at around 3 am IST, with all passengers verified by the Indian government before departure.
This marks the first time a US military plane has been used to deport Indian migrants, making India the farthest destination for such flights. The US Department of Defense has outlined plans to deport over 5,000 undocumented migrants from El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California. Previous flights transported individuals to Guatemala, Peru, and Honduras.
The military deportation initiative, launched last week as part of Trump’s emergency declaration on immigration, has already seen six flights, four of which landed in Guatemala. However, two flights to Colombia were denied entry, leading to diplomatic tensions before the migrants were eventually transported by Colombian aircraft.
Trump had earlier stated that the US would use military aircraft to repatriate undocumented migrants, emphasising a firm stance on border control. Following discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he expressed confidence that India would cooperate in taking back its nationals. Reports indicate that approximately 18,000 Indian migrants have been identified as undocumented in the US.
The Trump administration has prioritised mass deportations, aligning with his previous campaign promises to remove large numbers of undocumented migrants. Shortly after taking office, he declared a national emergency at the southern border, leading to the approval of a bill mandating detention and deportation for those entering the country illegally and charged with specific crimes.
The use of military resources for deportations has drawn scrutiny, with reports highlighting the high costs involved. A recent flight to Guatemala was estimated to cost over $4,675 per migrant—significantly higher than the cost of deportation through commercial charter flights operated by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Beyond immigration policies, Trump has also introduced new tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China, with similar measures planned for Europe. Tariff hikes on Canada have been postponed by a month following a $1.3 billion commitment to combat drug trafficking and illegal migration across the northern border. Mexico secured a similar reprieve by deploying 10,000 troops to its border with the US. Meanwhile, additional tariffs of 25% on Mexican and Canadian imports were scheduled to take effect, alongside a 10% increase on Chinese imports.
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Rupee falls 20 paise to 95.43 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee depreciated 20 paise to 95.43 against US dollar in early trade on Tuesday as market sentiments remained fragile after renewed military exchanges between US and Iranian forces in the Gulf region.
Forex traders said investor anxiety due to instability in the Gulf is causing massive capital flight into safe-haven assets, with the US dollar acting as the primary beneficiary.
Moreover, Brent oil prices is hovering near USD 113 per barrel, maintaining pressure on oil-importing economies like India.
At the interbank foreign exchange market the rupee opened at 95.30 then lost ground to touch 95.43 against the US dollar, in initial trade, registering a fall of 20 paise over its previous close.
Rupee fell 39 paise to close at an all-time low of 95.23 against the US dollar on Monday.
"With oil boiling rupee on Monday fell to a closing low of 95.0875 and this morning the opening was still lower as it becomes more and more vulnerable when dollar index rises due to safe-haven buying and oil prices rise due to the continuous fighting in the Gulf Region," Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director, Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP, said.
The higher oil prices will keep rupee sold off against the dollar as oil companies and FPIs intensify dollar buying, Bhansali added.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading at 98.51, up 0.15 per cent.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading lower by 1.07 per cent at USD 113.22 per barrel in futures trade.
"Market sentiments remained fragile after renewed military exchanges between US and Iranian forces when Iranian forces launched fresh attacks in the Gulf as both sides sought to assert control over the strategic waterway," Bhansali said.
On the domestic equity market front, Sensex declined 361.62 points to 76,907.78 in early trade, while the Nifty dropped 134.90 points to 23,980.60.
Foreign Institutional Investors purchased equities worth Rs 2,835.62 crore on Monday, according to exchange data.
