As a video of an Indian student being pinned to the ground, handcuffed, and deported from Newark Liberty International Airport went viral, the U.S. warned it “will not tolerate any abuse of visas or illegal entry” into the country.
Indian American social entrepreneur, Kunal Jain, who posted videos and photographs of the incident on X, claimed he witnessed the student being restrained by U.S. officials at the airport.
The disturbing footage shows the student being pinned to the ground as at least four officials held him down, with two of them keeping their knees on his back. They had tied the student’s legs and hands.
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“I witnessed a young Indian student being deported from Newark Airport last night – handcuffed, crying, treated like a criminal. He came chasing dreams, not causing harm. As an NRI, I felt helpless and heartbroken. This is a human tragedy,” Jain wrote in a post on X.
The student, Jain said, was speaking in Haryanvi and appeared visibly distressed, repeatedly saying, “I’m not crazy, they are trying to make me look crazy.”
Claiming that such incidents are becoming increasingly frequent, he wrote, “These children get their visas and get on a flight in the morning. For some reason, they are unable to explain the reason for their visit to the immigration authorities and are sent back on the evening flight, tied up like criminals. Every day, 3–4 such cases are happening. There have been more such cases in the last few days.”
Jain urged the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C., and India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to intervene. He stated that the student appeared disoriented and did not board the flight as expected. “This poor kid’s parents likely don’t even know what’s happening to him,” he added.
Following the circulation of the video, the Consulate General of India in New York responded on X, stating, “We have come across social media posts claiming that an Indian national is facing difficulties at Newark Liberty International Airport. We are in touch with local authorities in this regard. The Consulate remains ever committed for the welfare of Indian nationals.”
Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in India issued a strong advisory to Indians travelling to the United States saying it “will not tolerate any abuse of visas or illegal entry” into the country.
“The United States continues to welcome legitimate travelers to our country. However, there is no right to visit the United States. We cannot and will not tolerate illegal entry, abuse of visas, or the violation of U.S. law, ” the post on X said.