Gurpreet Singh's dream of a better life in the US was crushed when he found himself shackled and chained, being escorted towards a military transport plane for deportation back to India. The 39-year-old had invested his life savings in an arduous journey, fleeing unemployment and precarious living conditions in Punjab. Despite his hope of claiming asylum due to threats in India, Gurpreet was expelled without his case being heard, amidst an executive order by the Trump administration prioritizing mass deportations.
The US now hosts about 725,000 undocumented Indian immigrants, and Gurpreet became one of the first to face severe restrictions under the new regime. His treatment on deportation flights sparked outrage back home, with images of shackled migrants prompting protests from opposition leaders questioning the Modi government's silence on this brutal reality. As Gurpreet poignantly expressed, "No-one will try going to the US now through this illegal 'donkey' route while Trump is in power," reflecting a significant deterrent effect.
In India, despite official unemployment figures suggesting a stable economy, many, including Gurpreet, suffer from a lack of opportunities, leading them to seek risky pathways abroad. With businesses collapsing during a currency withdrawal and the Covid lockdown, Gurpreet resorted to selling land and borrowing money to fund his journey. Traveling through multiple South American countries and facing perilous conditions in the Darién Gap, he navigated the treacherous route hoping to establish a livelihood in the US.
Following his surrender to the US Border Patrol, he anticipated a fair asylum process but was instead unceremoniously returned home barely three weeks later. Back in Sultanpur Lodhi, Gurpreet faces the daunting task of repaying debts while struggling to find stable work and provide for his family, convinced that economic desperation drove him to risk everything in search of a better life. Despite hopes that the situation might improve, the current immigration climate under strict policies leaves many like Gurpreet feeling utterly defeated.
