Ahmedabad: The US may be separated from India by approximately 12,070km, but that has done little to deter Indians from trying to cross into the country illegally. Despite a sharp drop following President Donald Trump ’s crackdown on illegal immigration, Indian nationals still ranked third among those from 21 countries encountered by US border authorities in FY26, according to USCBP data. At 30,528, the tally was higher than that of every country except Mexico and Canada — two countries that share land borders with the US.
90,415 encounters involving Indian nationals were recorded in FY24, according to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data. The figure dropped to 34,146 in FY25 and further to 30,528 in FY2026 (Oct 2025 to Sept 2026) — a decline of nearly 66% since FY24.
A sizeable number of those attempting the journey are Gujaratis, alongside people from Punjab and Andhra Pradesh , according to sources familiar with illegal immigration networks. Their attempts continue despite tougher enforcement and a series of tragedies in recent years involving the illegal route, popularly known as the donkey route. The fall coincides with Trump’s tougher immigration enforcement measures.
Donald Trump won the 2024 US presidential election on Nov 5-6, 2024, and officially returned to power when he was inaugurated as 47th President of the United States on Jan 20, 2025. There are still attempts of intrusion from Mexico and Canadian borders by Gujaratis who pay an amount ranging from Rs 80 lakh for an individual to Rs 1.25 crore. ”
A source in the illegal immigration network said, “Though people have been shunted out of the US through immigration and customs enforcement (ICE) crackdown, a large number of Gujaratis mainly from North and Central Gujarat are sneaking into America for better financial security. His administration’s main thrust was on the crackdown against illegal immigrants in the US.