Indian asylum seekers from Gujarat are waiting for US border patrol in Arizona in 2024, as Donald Trump’s policies have led to the identification of approximately 18,000 Indian nationals who entered the US illegally. Narendra Modi has announced that India will take back its nationals who are in the US illegally and will crack down on human trafficking. A study by Abby Budiman and Devesh Kapur from Johns Hopkins University has revealed information about the undocumented Indian population, including conflicting estimates on their numbers and a significant decrease in their population since 2016. Despite a surge in Indian migrants at US borders in 2023, the overall undocumented Indian population has not shown a clear increase from 2020 to 2022. The study also highlights the shifting migration routes of Indian immigrants, with more encounters occurring along the US-Canada border in recent years. Additionally, it discusses the states with the largest populations of undocumented Indian immigrants and the rise in asylum claims from Punjabi and Gujarati speakers in recent years. The study suggests that economic motivations, rather than persecution, are driving most Indian asylum seekers to the US.
