The US embassy in India has said that while the country continues to welcome "legitimate" travellers, it will not tolerate visa abuse or unlawful entry.
“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,” the embassy said in a post on X on Tuesday.
The statement follows the circulation of a disturbing video showing an Indian student being restrained and deported from Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey.
Kunal Jain, an MIT alumnus who shared the video, described witnessing the young man being “handcuffed, crying, treated like a criminal”. Jain added, “He came chasing dreams, not causing harm. As an NRI, I felt helpless and heartbroken. This is a human tragedy.” He also tagged the Indian embassy and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, urging intervention.
In response, the consulate general of India in New York said it had taken note of the incident and was in touch with local authorities. “We have come across social media posts claiming that an Indian national is facing difficulties at Newark Liberty International Airport. We are in touch with local authorities in this regard,” the consulate said on X.
The incident comes amid a reported increase in deportations of Indian nationals. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the US has deported 1,080 Indians since Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025.
Among those affected is Ranjani Srinivasan, a 37-year-old Indian PhD student at Columbia University, who self-deported to Canada after her visa was cancelled over allegations of being a “terror sympathiser”.
Another student, Badar Khan Suri, a conflict studies researcher at Georgetown University, was detained on March 17 after his visa was revoked. US authorities cited antisemitic speech and alleged links to Hamas — claims Suri has denied, saying he is being targeted because of his wife’s Palestinian background.
The US remains a top destination for Indian students. In the 2023–24 academic year, 11 lakh international students studied in the US, including 3.32 lakh from India.
(By arrangement with livemint.com)