The Blubber

India's government has signaled its willingness to collaborate with Donald Trump's administration to identify and repatriate its citizens residing illegally in the United States, aiming to align with the incoming U.S. president's policies and mitigate potential trade tensions.

U.S. authorities have identified approximately 18,000 illegal Indian migrants for deportation, with India agreeing to verify their identities and initiate the repatriation process, according to sources familiar with the discussions. However, the actual number of undocumented Indian migrants in the U.S. could be significantly higher, the sources noted, requesting anonymity as the discussions are confidential.

Many of these undocumented migrants are believed to come from western Indian states such as Punjab and Gujarat, the sources said.

Like other nations, India is quietly working to avoid the repercussions of Trump's strict immigration policies and trade threats. Addressing illegal immigration was a cornerstone of Trump's campaign. Shortly after his inauguration, the president began implementing measures to end birthright citizenship and deployed troops to the U.S.-Mexico border to reinforce immigration controls.

In exchange for its cooperation, India seeks assurances from the Trump administration on maintaining legal immigration pathways, including student visas and the H-1B visa program for skilled workers. Indian nationals made up nearly three-quarters of the 386,000 H-1B visas issued in 2023, official data shows.

Failing to comply with deportation efforts could negatively affect India's labor and mobility agreements with other countries, the sources added. Facing domestic job shortages, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has inked migration agreements with nations such as Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and Israel in recent years.

"As part of India-U.S. cooperation on migration and mobility, both sides are engaged in efforts to deter illegal migration. This is being done to foster more opportunities for legal migration from India to the U.S.," said Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India's Ministry of External Affairs. "The recent deportation of Indian nationals from the U.S. via a chartered flight reflects this cooperation," he added, referencing an October repatriation effort.