Source: The Hindu| Date: March 19, 2026
Why is this in the news?
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to mark one year of the Trump administration, has temporarily raised its "exit bonus" for voluntary self-deportation from $1,000 to $2,600. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the offer, saying the "U.S. taxpayer is generously increasing the incentive to leave voluntarily."
What has made it specifically newsworthy for India is that DHS used an image of the Taj Mahal — one of India's most iconic national symbols — in a poster reading "Fly to India for free", targeting undocumented Indian immigrants in the US.
The move is part of a broader Trump administration self-deportation campaign using the CBP Home Mobile App, which allows undocumented individuals to voluntarily notify the US government of their intent to depart instead of facing ICE enforcement actions, detention, and removal.
WHY INDIA IS IN THE CROSSHAIRS
India's presence in this campaign is not random. According to the Pew Research Center, there are an estimated 725,000 Indian nationals living in the US illegally, making them the third-largest undocumented group after nationals from Mexico and El Salvador.
This is an enormous number for a country widely seen in the West as a source of legal, skilled immigration. The data exposes a lesser-discussed underbelly of Indian migration — one driven by unemployment, inequality, and the lure of the "American Dream" at any cost.
THE DUNKI ROUTE: HOW INDIANS GET THERE ILLEGALLY
The "donkey" route — derived from the Punjabi word "dunki", meaning to "hop from place to place" — involves crossing borders through a series of covert stops in multiple countries, often facilitated by agents who charge exorbitant fees.
People traffickers typically take migrants from New Delhi and Mumbai to the UAE on tourist visas, then through as many as a dozen transit points in Latin America such as Venezuela, Nicaragua and Guatemala to reach the US-Mexico border.
The "donkey route" typically costs around $40,000 to $50,000 per person. Families consider it an investment; selling lands and homes to fund the journey. The journey is extraordinarily dangerous. One migrant from Punjab who traveled through Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and the jungles of Panama encountered at least 40 dead bodies along the way. Despite this, the numbers kept rising — in 2023, 96,917 Indians were "caught or expelled" at the border, up from 30,662 in 2021.
THE STICK AND THE CARROT: TRUMP'S DUAL STRATEGY
The self-deportation offer is the "carrot" in Trump's immigration policy. The "stick" has already been felt in India. On 5 February 2025, about 104 Indian nationals were deported to India on a US military plane; the farthest deportation flight on a military plane — landing in Amritsar, Punjab. The immigrants were handcuffed and their legs were chained.
This deportation was criticised by the Indian political opposition. Indian MP Shashi Tharoor called it "an insult to India and the dignity of Indians." The $2,600 self-deportation bonus; with free flights and forgiveness of civil fines; is now positioned as the more dignified alternative to forced removal.
THE ECONOMICS: WHY THE US IS OFFERING THIS
The math is straightforward from Washington's perspective. The average cost to arrest, detain, and remove an undocumented migrant is approximately $17,000, as estimated by ICE. Even the increased bonus payments would save money for the government compared to forced deportation operations.
DHS claimed that since January 2025, 2.2 million people have voluntarily self-deported, with "tens of thousands" using the CBP Home app. However, a report from the Brookings Institution called DHS' data into question.
WHAT THE TAJ MAHAL POSTER REALLY SIGNALS
Using the Taj Mahal is a deliberate, calculated messaging choice — it signals that the US is specifically calling out India as a source of large-scale undocumented immigration, something that India's government and media often downplay. It puts India in the same bracket as Colombia and China, the other countries whose landmarks were used in DHS posters. For a nation that takes immense pride in its relationship with the US — especially under the Modi-Trump dynamic — being publicly named this way carries significant diplomatic weight.
INDIA'S UNCOMFORTABLE POSITION
The Indian government is caught between two equally uncomfortable realities. On one side, it must maintain warm ties with the Trump administration, which means quietly accepting deportations. Modi's team has explicitly agreed to facilitate the repatriation of 18,000 unauthorized Indian immigrants from the US back to India.
On the other side, the images of shackled Indian citizens being paraded off military planes are politically embarrassing at home, particularly in Punjab and Gujarat — states with millions of voters who have family members abroad. Police forces in Punjab and Haryana have been asked to create special investigation teams to find and book illegal travel agents.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
CBP Home App: The rebranded version of the Biden-era CBP One app, now used for voluntary self-deportation registration.
Dunki/Donkey Route: An illegal multi-country migration route used primarily by Indians from Punjab, Haryana and Gujarat to reach the US via Latin America.
India's rank: Third among undocumented immigrants in the US — after Mexico and El Salvador — with approximately 7.25 lakh undocumented Indians.
DHS Secretary: Kristi Noem.
India's diplomatic response: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has stated that India is coordinating with the US to ensure humane treatment of deportees, while agreeing to accept repatriation flights.
