US President Donald Trump on Saturday defended his administration’s large-scale deportation efforts, calling them a necessary measure to rid the country of fraudsters, cheaters, and bureaucrats working against American interests. Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) near Washington, Trump emphasized his hardline immigration stance, declaring that his administration was actively working to “drain the swamp and restore government by the people.”
Since returning to office, Trump has pushed for an aggressive immigration crackdown, with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reporting that as of February 3, federal agents had arrested 8,768 individuals as part of the mass deportation campaign. Among those deported, 332 Indian nationals have been sent back in three separate batches. In addition, a group of deported Indians recently landed in Panama after President Jose Raul Mulino agreed to allow his country to serve as a transit point for deportees.
According to a 2022 Pew Research Center report, unauthorized immigrants made up 3.3% of the total U.S. population and 23% of the foreign-born population. Trump’s policies aim to significantly reduce these numbers through widespread removals, a move that has sparked criticism from human rights organizations but remains a core issue for his conservative base. While opponents argue that these mass deportations violate human rights and create humanitarian crises, Trump has vowed to continue expanding his immigration policies, making them a defining aspect of his administration.
