Illegal migrants’ methods to enter the US, often aided by dishonest agents, may become more difficult once President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20. However, illegal crossings persist, as indicated by the US data. In November, 6,173 Indians were detained at the US border, making them the sixth-largest group, behind Mexico (31,871). Many of these migrants are from Gujarat, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh.
Data released by US Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) on Friday revealed that an average of 200 Indians were detained every day in November for attempting to enter the US which amounts to about eight per hour.
Indians made up 4.93% of the total 1,25,238 arrests, according to USCBP statistics. Other countries on the list include Venezuela (16,008), Cuba (8,362), Guatemala (8,209) and Honduras (7,947) all of which are geographically closer to the US. This indicates that many Indians are undertaking long and difficult journeys often passing through several countries to reach the US.
The number of Indian migrant detentions in November was 9.53%, lower than in October when 6,824 Indians were apprehended. Experts state that the higher October numbers reflect a “pre-election surge” with migrants trying to enter before potential changes to US immigration policies due to the upcoming presidential election.
“There is a possibility that migrants are taking extreme risks to enter the US. Many are attempting to cross before anticipated policy changes,” said a source within the human trafficking network. Stricter border enforcement may reduce illegal crossings but could also push migrants toward more dangerous routes the source added.
In this year alone, 90,415 Indians were reportedly detained at the Canada and Mexico borders.
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