Illegal Indian immigrants to the U.S. has risen sharply in recent years, particularly along the northern border with Canada. Data from the US Customs and Border Patrol (USCBP) shows Indian migrants accounted for 22% of all illegal crossings on the US-Canada border in 2024, as mentioned in a Fox News report.
In 2022, 16% of the 109,535 individuals apprehended at the northern border were Indian nationals. This number grew to 30,010 in 2023, 16% of the total 189,402 crossings. By 2024, the total climbed to 198,929, with Indians making up 43,764 of those caught—close to 22% of the total.
These figures come as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to begin his second term, with border security once again a central theme of his campaign promises.
Rising Migrant Numbers
Experts believe multiple factors drive this trend. According to the Niskanen Center, a think tank in Washington DC, Canada has become a popular entry point. The average wait for a Canadian visitor visa is 76 days, while it takes nearly a year to get an appointment for a US visa. Canada’s longer and less-guarded border with the US adds to the appeal.
Indian migrants often use agencies that charge up to $100,000 to help them navigate long, risky routes to evade border controls, the BBC notes. Many come from Punjab, selling farms or taking loans to finance their journeys.
The Role of Deportations
In 2024, the US deported over 1,000 Indian national migrants, including on large-scale charter flights. Most deportees are men aged 18-34. Many flights returned migrants to Punjab, a major point of origin for Indian migrants.
Indian nationals represent the largest group of migrants from outside the Western Hemisphere encountered by US authorities in the past four years. Many recent migrants are from Punjab, a predominantly Sikh state, with high asylum success rates in the US.
A Broader Picture
In 2022, 725,000 undocumented Indian immigrants were in the US, making them the third-largest group after migrants from Mexico and El Salvador, according to Pew Research Center. Unauthorized immigrants comprise 3% of the US population and 22% of its foreign-born population.
(with inputs from Reuters)
