India set to take back 18,000 citizens from US to placate Trump
Modi's government is cooperating with the Trump administration to identify and deport 18,000 illegal Indian migrants living in the U.S. The majority of these illegal migrants are believed to be from the states of Punjab and Gujarat in western India. This cooperation on illegal migration is an effort by India to appease the Trump administration and avoid potential trade threats. In return, India hopes the U.S. will protect legal immigration channels like student visas and the H-1B program, which are heavily used by Indian citizens. India is also mindful that any failure to take back its illegal migrants could affect its labor and mobility agreements with other countries. While India's overall share of illegal migrants in the U.S. is relatively small, the numbers have been rising, especially via the northern U.S. border. Taking back these migrants is an area where India can demonstrate cooperation with the Trump administration, as it may be difficult to deliver on trade and tariff issues. The Indian government is also hoping this cooperation will help deter secessionist movements like the Khalistan movement, which it believes has some support from illegal Indian migrants in both the U.S. and Canada.