Washington: A US military plane is deporting migrants to India, an official said on Monday. This is the farthest destination of the Trump administration's military transport flights for migrants.

President Donald Trump has increasingly turned to the military to help carry out his immigration agenda, including sending additional troops to the US-Mexico border, using military aircraft to deport migrants and opening military bases to house them.

ADVERTISEMENT

The official said the C-17 aircraft had departed for India with migrants aboard but would not arrive for at least 24 hours.

The Pentagon has also started providing flights to deport more than 5,000 immigrants held by U.S. authorities in El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California.

ADVERTISEMENT

So far, military aircraft have flown migrants to Guatemala, Peru and Honduras.

In October last year, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) deported several Indian immigrants illegally residing in the US. The immigrants were sent back to India on a large-frame charter removal flight as part of America's policy to deter irregular migration in the country, an October 25, 2024 press release by the US Homeland Security said.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Indian nationals without a legal basis to remain in the United States are subject to swift removal, and intending migrants should not fall for the lies of smugglers who proclaim otherwise," said Kristie A Canegallo, Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security.

"The Department of Homeland Security will continue to enforce our nation’s laws," she said. 

The comments posted here/below/in the given space are not on behalf of Onmanorama. The person posting the comment will be in sole ownership of its responsibility. According to the central government's IT rules, obscene or offensive statement made against a person, religion, community or nation is a punishable offense, and legal action would be taken against people who indulge in such activities.