In the US fiscal year 2024, from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024, US Customs and Border Protection (US-CBP) reported detaining 29 lakh illegal immigrants trying to cross into the country through Mexico and Canada. Of these, 90,415 were Indian nationals.
The dream of a life in the United States remains fervent for many Indians, especially Gujaratis, who make up a significant portion of the individuals apprehended while attempting illegal crossings. According to a report by Times of India (TOI), in the US fiscal year 2024, from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024, US Customs and Border Protection (US-CBP) reported detaining 29 lakh illegal immigrants trying to cross into the country through Mexico and Canada. Of these, 90,415 were Indian nationals.
Approximately half of the detained Indians were identified as being from Gujarat, according to sources in Indian agencies monitoring illegal immigration trends. This volume translates to an astonishing figure of nearly ten Indians arrested every hour. Notably, the US-Canada border saw a record-breaking 43,764 Indians apprehended this year—a striking milestone for Indian nationals caught along this northern route.
While the overall number represents a slight decrease from the previous year's figure of 32 lakh people, the number of Indians caught on the traditional Mexico route has also seen a reduction. In FY 2023, the number of detained Indians attempting to cross from Mexico stood at 41,770, which dropped to 25,616 in 2024.
Experts attribute this shift to tightened enforcement and new immigration dynamics. “People have stopped using the donkey route via Mexico due to two key reasons. One is that they would be kept in Dubai or Turkey for some time before being taken to Mexico. US agencies, over the past few years, have been keeping sharp vigil on illegal immigrants staying in those countries and have broken links in the human smuggling chain,” a source within the immigration network noted.
The Canada route, perceived as less daunting, has consequently become the new frontier. According to a source, "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."