Migrant Deported in Chains: ‘No One Will Go to the US Illegally Now’
Undocumented Indian Migrant Handcuffed and Shackled Before Deportation
Gurpreet Singh’s dream of building a life in America ended on February 3 when he was forcibly deported from Texas. Handcuffed, shackled at the ankles, and bound with a chain around his waist, the 39-year-old was led onto a C-17 military transport aircraft by US Border Patrol officers.
“It felt like the ground was slipping away from beneath my feet,” Gurpreet said after returning to India, reflecting on the end of his arduous and costly journey to the US.
Gurpreet is one of thousands of Indian nationals who have risked everything in recent years to enter the US illegally via its southern border, fleeing unemployment and economic uncertainty back home. The US is home to approximately 725,000 undocumented Indian immigrants, the third-largest group after Mexicans and Salvadorans, according to Pew Research figures from 2022.
His deportation marked a shift under President Donald Trump’s administration, which has prioritized mass deportations. Gurpreet had intended to claim asylum, citing threats he faced in India. However, in line with a Trump-era executive order, he was removed without a hearing.
While around 3,700 Indians were deported under President Joe Biden, recent images of migrants being shackled under Trump’s renewed crackdown have sparked outrage in India. US Border Patrol released a dramatic video showing detainees in chains, accompanied by a foreboding soundtrack and a stark warning: “If you cross illegally, you will be removed.”
“We sat in handcuffs and shackles for over 40 hours. Even women were restrained the same way—only children were exempt,” Gurpreet recounted to the BBC. “We weren’t allowed to stand. If we needed the toilet, we had to be escorted, and only one of our handcuffs was removed.”
In India, opposition parties condemned the treatment of deportees, calling it “inhumane and degrading.” Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, a key opposition leader, questioned why Prime Minister Narendra Modi had allowed such treatment despite his strong ties with Trump.
“The Indian government should have spoken up for us,” Gurpreet lamented. “They should have ensured we were deported the way it was done before—without handcuffs and chains.”
Following backlash, India’s foreign ministry stated that concerns had been raised with US authorities. As a result, subsequent deportations saw women being spared from shackling. However, the deterrent impact of Trump’s policies was already taking effect.
“No one will attempt to enter the US illegally now,” Gurpreet said. “Not while Trump is in power.”
With crackdowns intensifying, many Indian people-smugglers, known locally as “agents,” have gone underground, fearing police raids. Upon his return to India, authorities pressured Gurpreet to reveal his smuggler’s details, but the contact had disappeared.
Desperation Drives Risky Migration
Despite an official unemployment rate of just 3.2%, job insecurity remains widespread in India. Only 22% of workers earn regular salaries, while many are self-employed or unpaid workers in family businesses.
“We don’t leave India by choice—we’re forced to,” Gurpreet explained. “If I had a stable job paying even 30,000 rupees (£270/$340) a month, I wouldn’t have left.”
His trucking business collapsed when India’s sudden demonetization policy wiped out 86% of cash in circulation. Later, a logistics business he started failed during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Facing financial ruin, he attempted to secure visas for Canada and the UK, but his applications were rejected.
Determined to seek a better future, Gurpreet sold his land, drained his savings, and borrowed from relatives to pay a smuggler 4 million rupees ($45,000/£36,000) for a perilous journey to the US.
A Treacherous Path to America
On August 28, 2024, Gurpreet flew from India to Guyana, the first step of an exhausting and dangerous route to the US. From Guyana, he traveled through Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia—switching between buses, boats, and even a brief flight—before attempting to reach Mexico.
Blocked from flying out of Colombia, he had no choice but to cross the treacherous Darién Gap, a lawless stretch of rainforest between Colombia and Panama.
“It was the toughest part,” Gurpreet recalled. “We walked for five days through the jungle and rivers. My toenails cracked, the skin on my hands peeled off, and my feet felt like lead. We were drenched the entire time.”
Smugglers guided them over three mountains before leading them through a path marked by blue plastic bags tied to trees. Gurpreet’s group of 150 was later detained in Panama for 20 days before continuing through Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala, reaching Mexico after another month.
After waiting nearly a month near the US border, Gurpreet crossed into the US near San Diego on January 15—just five days before Trump took office. He believed he had arrived in time to secure asylum before stricter immigration rules took effect.
Hopes Shattered
Under Biden, migrants were typically given a preliminary interview to determine if they had a valid asylum claim. Many Indians cited economic hardship, but some fled religious or social persecution. Those with potential asylum cases were released pending a judge’s decision, a process that could take years.
Gurpreet expected this process, planning to find work in a grocery store before eventually returning to trucking. Instead, less than three weeks after crossing the border, he was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and deported.
Now back in Sultanpur Lodhi, Punjab, he faces the crushing weight of repaying his debts while supporting his wife, mother, and infant child. He struggles to find work, burdened by the financial ruin that drove him to risk everything.
“The economy may look good on paper, but the reality is bleak,” he said. “There are no opportunities to work or start a business.”
His dreams of a new life in America are gone, and so is the fortune he spent trying to make them a reality.
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