IAMC condemns handcuffing, dehumanizing mistreatment of Indian deportees from the US

Washington, D.C. (February 18, 2025) – The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) today strongly condemned the dehumanizing treatment of Indian deportees from the United States, including handcuffing individuals throughout lengthy flights on US military planes. 

One deportee reported that his hands and feet were cuffed and chained through the duration of a 40-hour flight, and he was only unshackled after the plane landed in Amritsar, Punjab. Another deportee reported that women were also shackled. Victims also reported being “treated like criminals” and prevented from standing up, despite their legs swelling due to the restraints. This inhumane treatment has sparked anger in India, including among politicians.  

The Pew Research Center and Center for Migration Studies of New York (CMS) estimated that there were around 700,000 undocumented Indian nationals living in the US in 2022, making them the third-largest demographic of undocumented immigrants after Mexico and El Salvador. 

“All people have human rights, and documentation status does not change that,” said IAMC Executive Director Rasheed Ahmed. “The United States’ treatment of these undocumented women, men, and families is in violation of the basic right to dignity and respect.” 

“IAMC is concerned with the human rights and fair treatment of all Indians, and as such is appalled by the blatant dehumanization of undocumented Indian migrants,” said IAMC President Mohammed Jawad. “To treat vulnerable people as criminals, shackling them for nearly two days of travel, is a gross violation of human rights. This practice must end immediately.”