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India in the top five of illegals in US
Between October 2022 and September 2023, a staggering 96,917 Indians faced arrests, deportations, or entry denials for attempting to reach the U.S. without proper documentation
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India in the top five of illegals in US / Wikimedia Commons
According to Pew Research Center's 2021 estimates Indians hold the position of the third-largest group of undocumented immigrants in the United States, tallying approximately 725,000 individuals. This places India as the sole non-Latin American country in the top five, showcasing a staggering 70 percent growth in the number of undocumented Indians since 2011, surpassing the growth rates of all other nationalities. Startling figures from U.S. Customs and Border Protection highlight that the influx of undocumented Indian immigrants witnessed its most rapid surge between 2020 and 2023.
According to The Washington Post, these immigrants typically hail from middle-class backgrounds, often liquidating their assets, with families reporting expenses ranging from US$40,000 to US$100,000 per person for the journey. The allure lies in the hope that working in the U.S. will significantly increase their income, secure a better future for their children, and enhance the marriage prospects for their sons.
The migration process involves traversing a chain of countries selected for their lenient visa requirements, a revelation gleaned from interviews with over a dozen families and their agents across three western Indian states. Agents facilitate each leg of the journey, providing migrants with the next plane ticket as they progress closer to Latin America or Canada. Subsequently, depending on the amount paid, migrants either walk or are transported to the U.S. border, coached to express concerns about safety in India if questioned.
One harrowing incident underscored the risks involved when Brijkumar Yadav attempted to cross into the U.S. through Trump Wall in December 2022. Tragically, he fell on the Mexican side of Tijuana while holding his child, leading to his demise. His wife, Pooja, fell 30 feet onto the U.S. side in San Diego, resulting in their three-year-old child being placed under the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Between October 2022 and September 2023, a staggering 96,917 Indians faced arrests, deportations, or entry denials for attempting to reach the U.S. without proper documentation. This marks a fivefold increase from the corresponding period in 2019 to 2020, with 30,010 individuals held at the Canadian border and 41,770 at the southern border.
The 'donkey route' or 'dunki,' derived from the Punjabi term meaning 'to hop from place to place,' sheds light on the intricate journey undertaken by these migrants. This clandestine path often involves obtaining tourist visas for the European Union, permitting travel across 26 bordering nations. Subsequently, agents facilitate illegal entry into the U.K. or further transit to the U.S.
The alternative route entails traveling from India to the Middle East, proceeding to Africa, and then journeying to South America. From there, migrants traverse to Mexico and eventually cross the U.S. border. Notably, smugglers charge exorbitant fees, employing risky methods such as transportation in ship containers and offering forged travel documents.
The migrants navigate multiple legs of the journey with assistance from various smugglers, emphasizing the precarious nature of their odyssey. Law enforcement agencies caution that the reported figures represent only recorded cases, suggesting the actual numbers are likely significantly higher.
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