This is the story of a shattered American dream that landed back at Amritsar airport. It brought back dozens of 'stateless' faces, declared undocumented by the world's biggest 'protector' of laws. Bound by chains and cuffs, with eyes downcast and hearts heavy with anger and humiliation.
This is the tale of Harvinder, Jaspal, Nikita, and Ketul Patel. They all shared the same dream—a better life. But this dream fell prey to Trump's political agenda. Trump's nationalism and 'America First' policy choked the life out of American liberalism. These 'intruders' were never given a chance to explain how they found themselves chasing dreams in a foreign land.
Chains on the Feet, Cuffs on the Hands
They were picked up by American agents from unknown whereabouts, paraded around. Chains on their feet, cuffs on their hands, and loaded into a giant military cargo plane.
Jaspal's journey from Hardowal village in Gurdaspur to America began in July 2024. A journey that should take 25-30 hours by flight from Delhi took Jaspal 4400 hours, or 6 months, to complete.
Source: aajtak
Jaspal finally set foot back in his village one Wednesday night, almost six months after starting his journey. "On the plane, our hands were cuffed, and our feet were chained. We weren’t told where we were being taken to," he recalls.
Freedom at Amritsar Airport
Suddenly, a police officer informed them they were being sent back to India. Jaspal says, "Our chains were finally removed at Amritsar airport."
Jaspal blames the incident on his travel agent. "I had asked to be sent with a legitimate visa, but he deceived me," he claims, noting the deal was struck at Rs 3 million.
Invested Heavily, Lived Like a Stateless Person for 6 Months
Last July, Jaspal claims he arrived in Brazil by plane. He was promised further travel to the US by air, but his agent 'betrayed' him. He alleges his agent forced him into illegal border crossing into the US.
In Brazil, Jaspal lived without legal documents for six months like a stateless person. He couldn’t report his predicament without exposing himself. Jaspal remained in hiding and secrecy.
He crossed the border into the US from Brazil but was arrested by the US Border Patrol on January 24. After 11 days in custody, he was placed on this plane.
"I've been broken," Jaspal confesses, having borrowed heavily to finance the ordeal.
A US Plane Returned 104 People to Amritsar
On Wednesday, a US military plane returned 104 illegal immigrants to Amritsar airport. Passengers included 33 Indians from Haryana, 33 from Gujarat, 30 from Punjab, three each from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, and two from Chandigarh, comprising 19 women and 13 minors.
In interactions with Aaj Tak, Jaspal Singh's mother, Shinder Kaur, and cousin, Jasbir Singh Randhawa, offer a slightly different account. They claim Jaspal worked in England for two years before going to America 12 days ago. Despite feeling distressed, they express gratitude for his safe return.
Jaspal has a son and a daughter, and his younger brother works with the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. His father, Narinder Singh, is deceased. According to his family, Jaspal is a hardworking man who has worked in Saudi Arabia for 8 years and Qatar for 4 years.
Ketul Patel's Troubled Tale
Ketul Patel's story, another returnee, is even more troubling. Living with his family in Dindoli, Surat, he went to America a year ago after selling his flat. This was confirmed by the new owner, Praful Bhai, to Aaj Tak.
Ketul Patel's father, Hasmukh Bhai, lives in Ahmedabad’s Khorij and supports the family with his tailoring business. Asked for comments by Aaj Tak, Hasmukh Patel refused to speak on camera.
33 Gujaratis who arrived in Amritsar were taken to Ahmedabad, and police are escorting them to their homes.
