Video footage from US authorities showed Indians being deported by military aircraft handcuffed and chained, but external affairs minister S. Jaishankar on Thursday sidestepped questions in Parliament on whether India had objected to this treatment of its nationals.

Instead, he emphasised that this was Washington’s “standard operating procedure for deportation by aircraft”. He underlined that “during toilet breaks (on what was a day-and-a-half-long flight), deportees are temporarily unrestrained if needed”.

US Border Patrol chief Michael W. Banks had posted a video showing handcuffed Indian illegal immigrants being herded into a C17 Globemaster military plane with their feet chained.

Sourced by The Telegraph

The images, corroborated by the deportees’ accounts to the media, seemed almost a throwback to the “chain gangs” — prisoners chained together to do manual labour, a racist and degrading practice once witnessed in countries including the US and Australia.

Opposition MPs demonstrated with handcuffs on Parliament’s premises, asking why a government that claims to be a “Vishwaguru” was silent on the “slave-like” treatment of Indian citizens by another country.

They asked whether India had objected to the US as Colombia, Mexico and Brazil had done. Colombia and Mexico had initially refused landing permission to US military aircraft bringing in deportees, triggering a diplomatic standoff. Brazil had red-flagged the “degrading treatment” of its citizens.

Jaishankar told the Rajya Sabha: “The standard operating procedure for deportation by aircraft used by ICE (the immigration and customs enforcement wing of the US department of homeland security) that is effective from 2012 — I repeat to you, these are procedures in place from 2012 — provides for the use of restraints.”

On India’s response, he merely said: “We are engaging the US government to ensure that the returning deportees are not mistreated in any manner during the flight.”

Citing a US document of 2012 that lays out the restraint procedure, Jaishankar said: “We have been informed by ICE that women and children are not restrained. And the needs of deportees during transit related to food or other necessities, including possible medical emergencies, are attended to.”

He added: “During toilet breaks, deportees are temporarily unrestrained if needed in that regard. This is applicable to chartered civilian aircraft as well as the military aircraft.”

Posting the video, Banks had said: “USBP and partners successfully returned illegal aliens to India, marking the farthest deportation flight yet using military transport. This mission underscores our commitment to enforcing immigration laws and ensuring swift removals. If you cross illegally, you will be removed.”

This appears the first time that the US has used a military aircraft for deportation, with earlier administrations preferring chartered or commercial flights to send back illegal migrants.

Jaishankar disclosed the number of such deportees since 2009 but did not answer the query why India had not sent an aircraft to bring them back.

The Lok Sabha saw multiple adjournments as Opposition members stalled proceedings. The Rajya Sabha witnessed uproar and an adjournment after the rejection of Opposition members’ notices that demanded the suspension of business to discuss the “inhuman” deportation. Adjournment notices were submitted in the Lok Sabha, too.

“Those showing the dream of making India the Vishwaguru — why are they silent now?” Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said while protesting on Parliament’s premises with the leader of the Opposition of either House, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge.

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said: “A lot of things were said — that President Trump and PM Modi are very good friends. Why did PM Modi let this happen? Couldn’t we have sent our own aircraft to bring them back?”

Rahul posted a video on X of one of the deportees narrating the harrowing journey in Punjabi and translated: “’For 40 hours, we were handcuffed, our feet tied with chains and we were not allowed to move an inch from our seats. It was worse than hell’: Harvinder Singh. Prime Minister, listen to this man’s pain. Indians deserve Dignity and Humanity, NOT Handcuffs.”

In a recent report on what a typical ICE deportation looks like, NBC News said: “The people being deported are not allowed to bring carry-ons, but they can bring one bag weighing up to 40 pounds. Many passengers are restrained with handcuffs, leg irons and a belly chain.

“Children and parents accompanying children are not restrained. Between 13 and 20 guards accompany the flight, as well as medical staff, and food is provided during the flight, according to ICE officials and public documents.”

According to an ICE enforcement and removal operations (ERO) document sourced by Fox News, 17,940 Indians were on the ICE’s non-detained docket of non-citizens with final orders of removal in November 2024.

Asked about these numbers soon after the Trump inauguration of January 20, Jaishankar had said in Washington: “I caution you (the questioner) about them, because for us a number is operative when we can actually validate the fact that the individual concerned is of Indian origin….”