India Flags Concern Over F-1 Visa Scrutiny, Deportations of Indian Nationals from U.S.

New Delhi, April 17, 2025: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed Thursday that the Indian government is actively investigating reports of Indian students in the United States receiving notices regarding their F-1 visa status. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the Indian Embassy and consulates were in touch with affected students and monitoring the situation closely.

The response came amid growing concerns about the treatment of Indian nationals in the U.S., including recent cases involving visa revocations, green card holders being denied re-entry, and Indian tourists being stopped at airports.

Adding to the tension, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh revealed that 55 Indian nationals had been deported by the U.S. since January, returning via Panama. A CNN report had earlier documented a mass deportation flight on February 4, where 104 Indian migrants—mainly from Punjab, Gujarat, and Maharashtra—were flown back aboard a U.S. military C-17 aircraft. The flight landed in Amritsar the following day.

The report also highlighted the grim conditions faced by deportees who were allegedly held in a hotel and a remote camp in Panama, with minimal contact with the outside world. Nearly 300 Asian migrants were detained at the site before being repatriated, CNN reported.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump had praised the deportation effort during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in February, framing it as a return to governance “by the people.” Reports suggest the Trump-led administration had pressured Latin American governments to assist in mass deportation operations.

India’s MEA said it remains committed to safeguarding the rights of Indian nationals abroad and is engaging diplomatically to resolve the matter.