Punjab Man Deported From US Says He Was Handcuffed And Chained; Govt Says Claim Is Fake

The government on Wednesday said that the image showing illegal immigrants in chains does not show Indians, but those deported to Guatemala.

The government has rejected claims that the illegal Indian immigrants from the US were handcuffed or their legs were chained during deportation.

Source : X@PIBFactCheck

A US military aircraft carrying 104 illegal immigrants landed in Punjab on Wednesday. Jaspal Singh, who was one of the deportees, claimed that the they were handcuffed and that their legs were chained throughout the journey. He further said that they were set free only after landing at the Amritsar airport, news agency PTI reported.

However, the government has rejected the claims that the illegal Indian immigrants from the US were handcuffed or their legs were chained.

A picture showing people sitting with their feet chained started making the rounds on social media. As Indians landed in Shri Guru Ramdas Ji International Airport in Amritsar, several people shared the picture, claiming the men to be Indians.

Congress leader Prithviraj Sathe had also tweeted the photo, claiming that more than 200 Indians were deported from the US in "the most inhumane way- handcuffed, leg-chained, treated like criminals". "One toilet for a long-haul flight!" he added.

He had also tagged MEA S Jaishankar, asking "Couldn’t Modi government at least arrange dignified transport for its own citizens? Global ‘Vishwaguru’ or global shame?"

However, the fact-check department of the government on Wednesday said that the image showing illegal immigrants in chains, which is being circulated does not show Indians, but instead shows those deported to Guatemala.

The  US military plane carrying the first such batch of Indians was deported by the Donald Trump government as part of a crackdown against illegal immigrants.

What The Deportee Claimed

After reaching his home town on Wednesday night, Singh alleged that a travel agent defrauded him as he was promised that he would be sent to the US in a legal way.

"I had asked the agent to send me through a proper visa (for the US). But he deceived me," said Jaspal.

Singh said that the deal was done at Rs 30 lakh. He had reached Brazil by air in July last year and was promised that his next leg of journey to the US would be by air too. However, he claimed he was "cheated" by his agent, who forced him to cross the border through an illegal route.

After staying in Brazil for six months, he managed to cross the US border, but was arrested by the US Border Patrol. He was then kept in custody for 11 days and sent back home.

Singh said he was not aware that he was being deported to India. "We thought we were being taken to another camp. Then a police officer told us that they were being taken to India. We were handcuffed and legs were chained. These were opened at the Amritsar airport," he claimed, as reported by PTI.

He got to know about his deportation through the media on Wednesday morning. "A huge sum was spent. The money was borrowed," Singh said, adding that he was shattered with deportation.

"These are issues of governments. When we go abroad for work, we have big dreams for a better future for our families. Those have now been shattered," he said.

The 104 Indians were brought in a C-17 Globemaster aircraft of the US Air Force, which landed at the Amritsar airport. This action by the US came just days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Washington to hold talks with President Donald Trump.

PIB Fact-Checks Viral Photo

The government issued clarification regarding the viral post, with the PIB Fact Check saying, "A fake image is being shared on social media by many accounts with a claim that illegal Indian migrants have been handcuffed and their legs chained while being deported by the US."

"The image being shared in these posts does not pertain to Indians. Instead it shows those deported to Guatemala,” the government’s fact-check department said on X.

A #Fake image is being shared on social media by many accounts with a claim that illegal Indian migrants have been handcuffed and their legs chained while being deported by US#PIBFactCheck

▶️ The image being shared in these posts does not pertain to Indians. Instead it shows… pic.twitter.com/9bD9eYkjVO

— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) February 5, 2025

Congress Seeks Discussion In Lok Sabha On 'Inhuman' Deportation

Congress on Thursday moved an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha, seeking discussion on the deportations of over 100 Indian nationals by the United States. Several Congress leaders including Gaurav Gogoi, Renuka Chowdhury, and Manick Tagore sought discussion in the Lok Sabha over the matter.

The motion moved by Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi read: "The deportations of over 100 Indian nationals primarily belonging to Punjab, Haryana and Gujarat by the United States government have been carried out under conditions that are deeply distressing and humiliating. The deported individuals include 25 women, 12 minors and 79 men. Reports have surfaced of these individuals being shackled and treated in a degraded manner during their deportation process, raising serious concerns about their human dignity and rights."

Congress MP KC Venugopal also moved the adjournment motion, which said that there is an "urgent need for intervention to dismantle human trafficking networks, provide financial and social reintegration support to deportees, and establish transparent migration frameworks to protect Indians from such predicaments in the future."

He also asked the government to clarify its stance on this issue and outline the diplomatic measures being undertaken to engage with US authorities and ensure the dignified treatment of deported individuals.