New Delhi: A substantial drop has been witnessed in the number of Indians who were caught while trying to illegally enter the US. The US Customs and Border Protection intercepted 34,146 Indian nationals attempting illegal entry between Oct last year and this Sept.

This figure reflected a 62% drop from the last fiscal year, which recorded 90,415 detentions, reported Times of India.

According to data released by the agency on Oct 28, as compared to previous years, Indian nationals now account for a much smaller share of total border detentions.

A total of 1,147 Indians were intercepted by authorities in September, which is the final month of the US fiscal. In FY22, Indians had accounted for 63,927 interceptions, with the latest data being 47% lower.

The data indicated that total “encounters” on the US borders stood at 2.9 million in FY 2024, which is also lower than the 3.2 million in 2023. In 2022, this figure was 2.7 million.

Among the total number of Indian nationals who were intercepted in FY25, single adults made up the largest group, amounting to 31,048. Authorities also detained 2,552 family units, 474 unaccompanied children and 23 minors travelling with adults.

In FY25, authorities also intercepted 91 unaccompanied children, which shows the consistent attempts by families relying on smuggling networks to send children in the hope of lenient treatment from US authorities.

“The American route is still viewed as a life-changing gamble. The decline in numbers does not mean the desire has ended—only that the risks have become clearer and costlier,” a senior immigration official told the newspaper.

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