Recent data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection indicates that between October 2020 and August 2024, over 86,400 Indian nationals were intercepted while attempting unauthorized crossings at the U.S. southwest border. During the same period, more than 88,800 Indian nationals were stopped at the northern border.
Although the total number of Indian nationals encountered at both borders is lower than the figures for migrants from Latin America and the Caribbean, Indian nationals now constitute the largest group of undocumented migrants encountered by CBP from outside the Western Hemisphere. The second-largest group from outside the region consists of individuals from China, with 625,196 encounters across both borders.
As shown in the chart below, the number of encounters involving Indian nationals at U.S. borders has risen steadily since 2021. According to an analysis by Gil Guerra and Sneha Puri of the Niskanen Center, this migration trend is driven by several factors. These include the pursuit of better-paying job opportunities in response to economic instability and unemployment in India, particularly in rural areas and among those impacted by the deregulation of agricultural laws.
Additionally, concerns about rising sectarianism have prompted some members of Sikh communities to seek safety abroad.
Original source: https://www.statista.com/chart/33134/reported-number-of-us-customs-border-protection-encounters-with-indian-nationals/
