"We Didn't Know They Went to America": Families of Deported Indians Speak Out

The United States recently deported 104 Indian nationals who were residing illegally in the country. These individuals were flown back to India on a military aircraft and arrived in Amritsar, Punjab. Among them, 33 were from Gujarat, in addition to a large number of Punjabis. Each deportee has a different story, but a striking detail that has emerged is that many of their families and local communities were unaware that they had even traveled to the U.S. in the first place. Officials have expressed surprise at how little information the families had about their relatives’ journeys abroad.

Nikita Patel from Gujarat was among those deported. Her father, Kanubhai Patel, stated that he was unaware that his daughter had traveled to the U.S. "She told us she was going to Europe with her friends and left India a month ago," he explained. Kanubhai further mentioned that the last time he spoke to his daughter was on the 15th of the previous month, and even then, she did not reveal that she was in the U.S. He believed that Nikita, who had completed her MSc, was traveling to Europe for job opportunities. It was only through the media that he learned his daughter was among those deported. He expressed shock over the situation and said that all he wants now is for his daughter to return safely.

Another deportee, Ketubhai Patel from Surat, had sold his flat before leaving for the U.S. a year ago. The intermediary who facilitated the sale commented to the media that illegal migration often leads to difficulties. He suggested that if Ketubhai had planned to go to the U.S., he should have pursued a legal route. He further added that Ketubhai and his family are now facing severe hardships as a result of this ordeal.

Among the deported individuals was also the Gohil family from Gandhinagar. Kiran Singh Gohil, his wife Mittalben, and their son Heyansh were sent back by U.S. authorities. Interestingly, they had only traveled to the U.S. last month. Their relatives and local villagers expressed shock, as no one in their community was aware of their departure. Kiran Singh’s mother stated, "We had no idea when or how my son, daughter-in-law, and grandson went to America." She further mentioned that she had not been in contact with her son for the past 15 days.