A US military aircraft transporting 116 Indian nationals, who were residing illegally in the United States, arrived in Amritsar, Punjab, late on Saturday night. This marks the second group of Indian deportees sent back under the Donald Trump administration's ongoing crackdown on illegal immigration.

The C-17 aircraft touched down at Amritsar airport at approximately 11:35 pm, around an hour and a half later than its scheduled arrival, according to sources cited by PTI. Following immigration formalities, verification, and background checks, the deported individuals were cleared to return to their respective homes.

According to a list obtained by India Today, over 60 of the deportees are from Punjab, while more than 30 hail from Haryana. Others belong to states including Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir.

Another deportation flight, carrying 157 Indians, is anticipated to land in Amritsar on Sunday, February 16. A separate list accessed by India Today TV reveals that 59 of these individuals are from Haryana, 52 from Punjab, and 31 from Gujarat, with the remainder from other states.

This development follows an announcement by the Indian government that US authorities have identified an additional 487 Indian citizens living unlawfully in America who are facing deportation. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, during a press briefing, stated that Washington had informed New Delhi about these individuals, who had been issued removal orders. He suggested that the number might increase as further details become available, although specific information on other cases is still awaited.

Earlier, on February 5, another US plane carrying 104 undocumented Indian migrants landed in Amritsar. Among them, 33 were from Haryana, 33 from Gujarat, and 30 from Punjab. Many of the deportees explained that they had attempted to migrate to the US in pursuit of better livelihoods for their families. However, they were detained while attempting to cross into the country through unauthorized routes, often referred to as 'donkey routes,' which are dangerous and involve paying large sums of money to traffickers.

Footage released by US authorities showing the deported Indians in shackles sparked public outrage and criticism from opposition parties in India, who denounced the treatment of the deportees.

The arrival of these deportation flights in Amritsar has also stirred political tensions. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann criticized the central government for choosing Amritsar as the designated landing site. In contrast, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dismissed the criticism, accusing opposition parties of exaggerating the situation.

The issue of illegal immigration and human trafficking was also raised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent visit to the United States.