'Treated like criminals': Shackling of Indians aboard 40-hour migrant flight sparks new outrage against Trump

U.S. officials shackled and chained approximately 100 deported Indian migrants, escorting them on a 40-hour repatriation flight, even when they needed to use the restroom. This incident has once again sparked strong international discontent with the Trump administration's immigration policies. Such practices raise serious human rights concerns and questions about the treatment of migrants.

Indian lawmakers held demonstrations outside parliament on Thursday (local time), with some wearing shackles and others mocking the much-touted friendship between Trump and Indian Prime Minister Modi. Elsewhere in New Delhi, members of the youth wing of India's main opposition party burned effigies of Trump. These protests highlight the growing opposition to the perceived mistreatment of Indian citizens.

Last month, images of deported Colombians boarding a U.S. repatriation flight in shackles triggered a heated dispute between the two countries. Colombian President Gustavo Petro initially refused to allow the military aircraft to land. This wave of anger in India comes just days before Modi is expected to visit the White House and meet with Trump, whom he has called a "true friend." The timing of the protests adds pressure to the upcoming meeting.

Punjab state government minister S. Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal urged Modi to "use his friendship now to resolve this issue." Punjab was the landing site for the repatriation flight. Dhaliwal also questioned "what is the use of this friendship if it cannot help Indian citizens in need," his office said in a statement. The minister's remarks reflect a growing sentiment that diplomatic ties should translate into tangible benefits for citizens.

According to a U.S. official, the flight to India was the longest since the Trump administration began deploying military aircraft for immigration deportations. "Before boarding the plane, our hands were cuffed and our ankles were chained," said 23-year-old Akashdeep Singh, who arrived in Punjab on Wednesday with 103 other deportees. "We requested the military officials to remove the shackles in order to eat or use the toilet, but they were very harsh with us and showed no respect." The deportees' accounts paint a grim picture of the conditions during the flight.

"The way they looked at us, I will never forget… We went to the bathroom in shackles. Before landing, they removed the (shackles) for the women. We saw that. For us, the shackles were removed by local police officers after we landed." Michael W. Banks, a U.S. Border Patrol chief, posted a video on X showing deported Indians being led onto the plane. In the video, several men can be seen with restraints on their wrists and ankles, slowly walking up the boarding ramp. The video evidence further fuels the controversy surrounding the deportation process.

CNN has contacted the Pentagon and U.S. Customs and Border Protection for comment on whether the deportees were shackled throughout the entire flight. Sukhpal Singh, a 35-year-old deportee, also stated that the shackles were worn throughout the flight, including during a refueling stop on the Pacific island of Guam. "They treated us like criminals," he said. "If we tried to stand up because our legs were swelling from the handcuffs, they would yell at us and tell us to sit down." The deportees' testimonies highlight the harsh treatment they allegedly endured.

A growing number of young Indians are becoming undocumented immigrants in the United States in search of job opportunities, many of whom experience dangerous journeys through Latin America to reach the U.S. southern border. Many say they see no future in their homeland, where a jobs crisis is stifling the hopes of young people in the world's most populous country. Government data shows a sharp increase in the number of Indian citizens illegally entering the United States in just four years—from 8,027 in fiscal year 2018-19 to 96,917 in fiscal year 2022-23. This surge reflects the desperation and lack of opportunities driving migration from India.

Previously, some families told CNN that they sold land and raised tens of thousands of dollars to give to "travel agencies" to take migrants on dangerous journeys to the United States. "I went for work, for a better life, for a better future," said Sukhpal Singh, who has a son and a daughter and hoped to better provide for them by finding work in the United States. "You see it in the movies, and you hear from people around you that there are jobs there, that people are successful there, so I wanted to go too." The stories of these families underscore the economic motivations and the risks involved in seeking a better life in the U.S.