US Ramps Up Deportations: 801 Indians Issued Removal Orders in June Amid Record Backlog

The US immigration system is speeding up its removal process, with judges issuing orders for 801 Indian nationals to leave the country in June 2026. This comes from new data released by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), an independent group that studies government records. While the number for Indians was a little lower than May, the total number of removal orders for all nationalities jumped nearly 30% in just one month, showing that courts are pushing cases through much faster. This increase happens when US immigration courts are already dealing with a huge backlog of cases, with over 3.1 million active cases waiting to be heard by June 2026. Many of these cases are asylum claims, where people are asking for protection in the US. This rush to close cases creates big uncertainty for thousands of people, including many from states like Gujarat and Punjab in India, who are facing long waits and the constant fear of deportation. Only a very small number of new cases, about 1.76%, are even about serious criminal activity beyond just entering the country illegally. Looking ahead, this faster pace of removal orders is likely to continue as the US government tries to manage the overflowing immigration court system. Indian nationals still hoping to live or work in the US should pay close attention to changing rules, especially for visas like the H-1B, and be ready for legal challenges. The growing number of deportations also puts pressure on US-India relations and highlights the ongoing debates about immigration policy in Washington.