As many as 1.49 lakh Indians were caught trying to unlawfully enter the US between February 2019 and March 2023, according to data from theUS Customs and Border Protection(USCBP), revealing a grim truth that the “American dream” continues to lure Indian asylum-seekers despite several deaths in dangerous border crossings.
“Those detained are mostly fromGujaratand Punjab,” said a Police officer from Gujarat.
In January 2022, as many as 5,459 Indians were caught entering the US illegally. Of these, 708 were caught along the US-Canada border. The numbers rose 35.9% to 7,421 in January 2023, including 2,478 detentions made on the US-Canada border.