Deportation 'fear': Inside steep decline in Indians' illegal immigration to US

Indian illegal immigration to the US dropped 69% in FY2026 compared to FY2023, with 20,614 encounters recorded through May.

Southwestern US border encounters with Indian migrants fell 99% to 417, and northern border encounters fell 91% to 2,250.

Under Trump's second-term crackdown, 1,076 Indians were deported in the first half of 2026; over 3,500 were deported in 2025 — the highest in 16 years.

Deportation flights included shackling of women and children, sparking controversy.

Deportation fear is cited as a key driver for the decline in illegal entries.