The Indian youth whose detention at New Jersey’s Newark airport was videographed and became viral had entered the US illegally and was being deported when he was pinned down by security personnel for “behaviour not conducive to travel”.

This has apparently been communicated to India by the American authorities after the external affairs ministry formally raised the matter with the US embassy in Delhi. The Indian embassy in Washington and the Indian consulate in New York have been in touch with the US authorities to ascertain the circumstances of his detention.

Sources said the Indian consulate in New York had ascertained that the individual belongs to Haryana and had entered the US without a valid visa. He was being deported to India according to a court order. “During his transit in Newark, on finding his behaviour not conducive for travel, he was restrained and admitted to a medical facility. Once he is fit to travel, the individual will be deported to India,” a source said.

As the video of the detention went viral and the Congress flagged the treatment meted out to the youth as another evidence of India’s “diplomatic failure”, the US embassy in India put out a stern message on X. “The United States continues to welcome legitimate travellers to our country. However, there is no right to visit the United States. We cannot and will not tolerate illegal entry, abuse of visas, or the violation of US law.”

India has not objected to deportations from the US of Indians who had entered the country illegally, contending that the issue of visas is a sovereign function of every country and people should not take illegal pathways to enter another nation.