The latest data from the US Customs and Border Protection (UCBP) reveals a record number of 96,917 Indian individuals were apprehended while illegally crossing into the United States between October 2022 and September 2023. This marks a significant surge in Indian nationals attempting unlawful entry, with a five-fold increase observed in recent years. To provide context, in 2019-20, 19,883 Indians were arrested, which rose to 30,662 in 2020-21, and further increased to 63,927 in 2021-22.
Of the total 96,917 Indians arrested in the past year, 30,010 were intercepted at the US-Canada border, while 41,770 were apprehended at the US-Mexico frontier. The individuals taken into custody fall into four categories, including Accompanied Minors (AM), Individuals in a Family Unit (FMUA), Single Adults, and Unaccompanied Children (UC). Single adults constitute the largest group, with 84,000 Indian adults illegally entering the US in fiscal year 2023. Notably, among the arrested individuals, 730 were unaccompanied minors.
Senator James Lankford raised concerns about these individuals using multiple flights, including routes through countries like France, to reach Mexico, the nearest airport. Subsequently, they rely on cartel-rented buses to transport them to the border for their final entry into the United States. This situation highlights the growing challenges faced by US authorities in managing the influx of Indian nationals attempting illegal entry into the country.
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