US President Donald Trump has put to rest any doubts anyone might have had on immigration. A US C-17 military plane with 205 Indian nationals departed from San Antonio, Texas late last night as Trump fulfills his poll promise to send back illegal migrants.

Sources in New Delhi have confirmed that all on board the flight were verified by the Indian government. This latest development is also a setback to India-US ties which have seen significant progress in the last decade or so.

The US had earlier conducted similar deportation flights to Guatemala, Peru and Honduras, among other countries.

This news also comes in parallel to developments that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will likely meet the US President on Feb 13 in Washington DC. White House officials also confirmed that Modi will be travelling to Washington DC next week.

India had been trying to get such a meeting scheduled since Trump won the elections last year. The urgency is underlined by the fact that Trump 2.0 has made its stance clear on immigration and tariffs which affect India. Another worry of course is China and the manner in which Trump will approach this relationship.

The fact that Trump extended an invitation to the Chinese leader Xi Jinping to attend his inauguration was a sign that Trump might seek to improve ties with Beijing.

Indian Foreign Minister Dr S. Jaishankar had earlier said that New Delhi is open to the return of undocumented Indians from the United States. He had made these comments after a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Dr Jaishankar had told reporters: “We have always taken the view that if there are any of our citizens who are not here legally, if we are sure that they are our citizens, we have always been, you know, open to their legitimate return to India.” He had pointed out that it is a position India takes with every country.

It is nevertheless going to be a loss of face for India. The development also comes just a day before the capital, Delhi, goes to the polls. The party of PM Modi is in a direct contest with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in a high stakes contest and this would be the worst time for illegals issue to rear it head.

The United States is India’s largest trading partner and two-way trade between the two countries surpassed $118 billion in 2023/24, with India posting a trade surplus of $32 billion. In the last few years India and the US have become strategic partners especially when it comes to the security of the Indo-Pacific, with an eye on China.

One of the most significant partnerships has been the Quad (India, Japan, US and Australia) which has seen the leaders of the four nations meet frequently. India is also scheduled to host the Quad Leaders Summit later this year at which Trump is expected to be present.

Trump 2.0 comes with its set of challenges and even as the US military aircraft carrying illegal Indians heads to the country, India and the US will need to find ways to sustain this relationship.

Modi’s visit next week to the US will center around these concerns and it is hoped that both leaders can find ways to resolve niggling issues. – Simran Sodhi is Executive Editor of nrifocus.com