Chicago – October 29, 2024
Despite the perilous journey and a series of deaths of illegal Indian immigrants trying to cross the border, the lure of a life in the US, especially among Gujaratis, remains strong.
During US FY 2024 – October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024 – 29 lakh illegal immigrants were caught trying to enter the country through Mexico and Canada. Of these, Indians constituted 90,415, US Customs and Border Protection (US-CBP) data shows.
Of this total, roughly 50% were from Gujarat, sources in Indian agencies tracking illegal immigration said. It could also be said that 10 Indians were arrested every hour, the sources said. Also, 43,764 were arrested at the US border with Canada, in the north, making it the highest number of Indians caught at this border till now.
A source said, “Gujaratis, too, began choosing Canada over Mexico as they could easily hire a taxi and cross over to the US. Recently, US authorities have tightened vigil on this border. Such immigrants are usually sent to Canada as most of them carry a Canadian visitor visa. However, the immigrants try again after some time on the same route.”
Sources also said that people caught at the border may be very few compared to those who actually manage to sneak into the US.
