Ahmedabad: The journey to the US has never been riskier for Indian migrants attempting illegal entry. With US President Donald Trump doubling down on immigration enforcement, border arrests have plunged to their lowest in four years. According to reports from the US Customs and Border Protection (USCBP), just 1,628 Indians were caught in Feb 2025, compared to 3,132 in Jan and over 5,600 in Dec. Smugglers, once a lifeline for hopeful migrants, are pulling back as deportations soar. Meanwhile, those already living illegally in the US are on edge, dodging immigration raids and limiting their movements to avoid detection.
Experts attribute this downward trend to Trump’s stringent immigration policies and aggressive crackdown on illegal crossings, which have heightened the risk of detention and deportation.
In Feb 2025, the US deported 344 Indian immigrants, including 74 Gujaratis, on military aircraft for repatriation. Immigrants in the first three flights were chained and handcuffed — a rare move underscoring the administration’s strict stance against illegal immigration.
So, it comes as no surprise that the Feb figures represent the lowest number of Indian border arrests in the past four financial years, spanning 2022 to 2025. Of those detained, 238 were caught at the northern US border, 145 at the southern border with Mexico, while the remaining individuals were apprehended within the country. The breakdown of detainees includes four unaccompanied minors, three accompanied children, 52 individuals in family units, and 1,572 single adults.
A source within human smuggling networks revealed that Trump’s strict stance on immigration has nearly paralyzed illegal operations, especially those facilitating the movement of Indians, primarily from Gujarat, to the US. “Since Trump took office, smugglers have been extremely cautious. The situation became worse when the administration began deporting illegal immigrants via military flights to India. Human smuggling is now barely functioning,” the source said.
Meanwhile, fear has gripped Indian immigrants already residing in the US without legal status. A man from Kalol, who has been living in the US for years, shared his anxiety. “We are constantly warning people back home in Gujarat not to take the illegal route. Immigration authorities conduct frequent checks, and we are terrified. Many of us avoid going to markets, and some have even stopped sending their children to school. We are just counting the days here in the US,” he told TOI.
Historically, between 90,000 and 1 lakh Indians attempt to cross into the US illegally each year, as per USCBP data. However, with the heightened enforcement under Trump’s administration, those numbers are expected to plummet further.
