The family arrived at an ornately carved temple in western India with a special treat of dry milk and clarified butter. It was a desperate offer for his son's safety. Her son had just arrived in the United States, days before President Trump took office promising a tough crackdown on illegal immigration.
In their village in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state of Gujarat, signs of immigration are everywhere. A plaque on the building advertises donations from American Indians. The homes remain locked and vacant, and their owners are now in the United States — many legally, many not.
Mr. Trump's threat to mass deport illegal immigrants has caused the most alarm in countries close to the United States, such as Mexico and Central America. But fear, anxiety and possible political fallout are also rippled across India.
According to the Pew Research Center, India is one of the largest sources of illegal immigration to the United States. The center estimates that as of 2022, more than 700,000 undocumented Indians will be living in the United States, making them the third largest group after Mexicans and Salvadorans.
Some Indians enter the country legally and overstay their visas. Some cross the border without permission: According to US government data, around 90,000 Indians were arrested trying to enter the US illegally in 2023 alone.
The Indian government, which has expanded its defense, technology and trade ties with the United States, expressed confidence that it is in a better position than other countries to weather the global reputation of a new “America First” administration. Modi has close ties with Trump, calling him a “dear friend” when he congratulated him on his re-election.
Nevertheless, there are signs that India is trying to keep Trump in good hands by helping crack down on illegal immigration.
Indian news outlets reported last week that the Indian government is working with the new administration to bring back 18,000 Indian illegal immigrants who are under so-called final removal orders.
According to these reports, India's goal is to protect legal channels for immigration to the United States, such as skilled worker visas, and avoid punitive tariffs that Trump has threatened to impose on illegal immigrants. is. By supporting the regime, India can avoid the embarrassment of being caught up in reports of Trump's repression.
Indian officials did not confirm details of the report to The New York Times. But they said deportations from the U.S. to India are not new, noting that more than 1,000 Indians were deported last year, and that they are working with the Trump administration.
“Our stand is against illegal immigration,” said Randhir Jaiswal, a spokesperson for India's Ministry of External Affairs. “We have been working with U.S. authorities on curbing illegal immigration with a view to creating more avenues for legal immigration from India to the United States.”
These legal routes, H-1B visas for skilled workers and visas for students, are the subject of intense debate among Mr. Trump's supporters. Elon Musk and other tech moguls have argued that H-1B visas are necessary to attract top talent to the United States. More nationalist voices argue that the jobs held by these visa holders should go to Americans.
The State Department said the Trump administration is working with India to “address concerns regarding undocumented immigration.” New Secretary of State Marco Rubio held his first bilateral meeting with Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday, a sign of the growing importance of the U.S.-India relationship.
The focus on immigration is a politically sensitive issue in India.
Mr. Modi, the most powerful leader in decades, has positioned himself as the engine of economic growth that he says will eventually make India a developed country. But police officials say his home state of Gujarat, once touted as an economic miracle under his leadership, has become one of India's biggest sources of illegal immigration to the United States.
Although the U.S. government has focused on India as an alternative to China in global industrial dominance, India's economy is uneven and, by some accounts, one of the most unequal in the world, and a large number of Indian are forced to take great risks in order to travel to the United States. .
In Gujarat's Mehsana district, almost every family, legal or illegal, has a resident in the United States. Some people only visit once a year to see their uncles and aunts. Mehsana has been in the news frequently, having died while attempting to enter the United States by scaling the border wall, reaching the coast by boat, or attempting to cross the frozen northern border during the winter. There have been reports of immigration.
Immigration to the United States has traditionally been a status symbol for Gujaratis. Jagdish, 55, who works at a local university in Jasalpur village, where his son and daughter-in-law are in the US illegally, said families without members in the US find it difficult to match their children with marriage partners. .
Jagdish, who asked that his last name not be used, said his son spent five months in Mexico waiting to cross the border five years ago. Once in the United States, he was sentenced to three months in prison before being released. He currently works at a cafe there, and his wife joined him last year.
Jagdish said it cost him more than $70,000 to bring his family to the United States, a combination of “hard-earned money, my life's savings” and loans.
“I don't buy new clothes. I also cut back on fruit and milk,” he says. “I have to pay off my debt.”
Outside the village temple, a couple who own a Subway franchise in the U.S. and have lived here for 20 years come for their annual visit. Her husband, Rajanikanth Patel, sought some reassurance about Trump amid the “nobody knows” atmosphere that characterizes much of the talk about the new administration.
“Trump will do what he has to do,” Patel said. “But President Trump needs people working there. We are workers there. It's a very big country. Who is going to work there and manage it?”
Indians began immigrating to the United States in large numbers in the 1960s, when India was one of the poorest countries in the world and American immigration policies were relaxed.
India is now the world's fifth largest economy, and its momentum remains strong. Given huge inequalities, economic growth does not necessarily translate into better services or higher standards of living for many people.
“You can't compare the quality of life here and there,” said Mr. Patel's wife, Nira Ben.
Immigration consultants say the drop in visitors comes as it becomes increasingly difficult to enter the U.S., tightening regulations begin under the Biden administration and rumors spread that Trump is trying to significantly increase immigration. Ta.
Varun Sharma, director of an immigration consultancy, said about half of his potential clients inquired about illegal entry routes into the United States. He politely declined.
Today, many illegal immigrants come from the new middle class. In some cases, Indian nationals arriving on student visas may stay beyond the expiration date. In other cases, immigrants first fly to a third country on a visitor visa and then slowly make their way to the United States by land or sea.
Vishnu Bhai Patel, a lemon vendor from a nearby village, said she hopes Trump will “show some generosity to divided families like mine. Half of my family is here, half of my family is there.” ” he said. He said he hopes his daughter, who is studying engineering in the United States, will stay after graduation and invite her to come legally.
“My dream is that she never comes back,” he said.
Mujib Mashal contributed reporting from New Delhi.
