70% dip in Indians held at US border since Trump's return
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Ahmedabad:The number of Indians caught crossing illegally into the United States in the first five months of 2025 fell dramatically by 70% from last year, following the return of Donald Trump to the US presidency.
Yet, even as the route becomes more perilous, 10,382 Indians including at least 30 unaccompanied minors — many from Gujarat — were caught trying to cross the border between Jan and May. The journey is harder, the risks higher, yet the desperation to chase the American dream remains just as fierce.
The sharp drop coincides with the Trump administration's renewed crackdown on illegal immigration, which allegedly disrupted long-standing smuggling networks that cater to hopeful migrants from Gujarat.
Data released by US Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) shows a dramatic reversal in border encounters: In early 2024 under the Biden administration, 34,535 Indians had been apprehended during the same five-month stretch.
This year, the daily average has dropped to around 69 Indians.
Many of these syndicates paused their operations starting late 2024, anticipating Trump's return to power. "The moment it became clear Trump would likely win again, routes started drying up," a source connected to a Gujarat-based human smuggling ring told TOI.
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"People still want to go, but smugglers have either scaled back or raised costs, and the fear of stricter deportation is real."
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The broader impact is also visible in the USCBP's overall data, which shows that the number of illegal immigrants (across all nationalities) apprehended dropped sharply over the same five-month period. It fell from 81,492 in Jan to 28,617 in Feb, 29,021 in March, 29,218 in April, and 29,502 in May.
Yet for many Indians, especially from Gujarat, the dream of a better life across the border remains irresistible, and often fatal. On May 9, a boat carrying illegal migrants capsized near Del Mar, California, killing 14-year-old Prince and 10-year-old Mahi. Their parents, Brijesh and Sangita Patel, survived the wreck with grievous injuries.
Officials confirmed that among the 10,382 Indians detained at the border this year, at least 30 were unaccompanied minors who were abandoned by adult companions during the perilous journey.
In some cases, agents said, smugglers encouraged families to separate in hopes that minors would be treated more leniently under US immigration rules.
The deaths of Prince and Mahi, however, are not isolated. At least nine Indian nationals are confirmed to have died while trying to cross the US border since Jan 2025. These include four individuals from Dingucha in Gandhinagar, another four from a single family in Vasai-Dabhla village of Mehsana, and one man from Kalol.
Gujarat, in particular, continues to be one of the main sources of irregular migration from India, said officials, adding: "Over the past decade, networks of agents have established long and risky overland routes through Central America, exploiting gaps in border control and the aspirations of families seeking opportunity abroad."
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