Fury in India over U.S. allegedly flying deportees halfway around the world in handcuffs and leg chains

New Delhi — Proceedings in India’s parliament were disrupted Thursday as opposition lawmakers protested against the Trump administration’s alleged mistreatment of over 100 Indian migrants who were deported on a U.S. military plane back to the country — apparently in handcuffs and ankle chain.

A U.S. military plane carrying 104 deported Indian migrants arrived in the northern Indian city of Amritsar Wednesday, the first such flight to the country as part of a crackdown on undocumented migrants ordered by the Trump administration.

The U.S. Department of Defense confirmed that an Air Force C-17 plane was used for the flight.

Multiple Indian lawmakers alleged Thursday in parliament that the deportees’ arms and legs were shackled during the entire journey, and the legislature was forced to adjourn proceedings as they disrupted the chamber with their chants.

“We are protesting precisely this issue — that the manner in which the U.S. did what they did was really unacceptable,” Shashi Tharoor, a member of parliament with the Indian National Congress, told reporters Thursday. “We believe they have a legal right to deport people who are illegally in their country. And if they are proven to be Indian nationals, we have a legal obligation to admit them, to accept them in our country. But the manner in which it was done, in handcuffs, squeezed into a military aircraft, in such an abrupt manner, is not acceptable.”

Daler Singh, one of the deported migrants, was quoted by the Reuters news agency as saying: “Our hands and legs were cuffed throughout… They did not unlock our cuffs even when we ate.”

U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael W. Banks shared a 24-second video Wednesday on social media that appears to show a line of the deportees being led onto a military plane with their legs in chains.

“USBP and partners successfully returned illegal aliens to India, marking the farthest deportation flight yet using military transport,” Banks said in the post, referring to a flight that would likely have been 18 hours long, at the very least. “This mission underscores our commitment to enforcing immigration laws and ensuring swift removals. If you cross illegally, you will be removed.”

Another opposition lawmaker with the Congress party shared a video on social media of a man identified as deportee Harvinder Singh, who said: “For 40 hours, we were handcuffed, our feet tied with chains and we were not allowed to move an inch from our seats. It was worse than hell.”

“Listen to this man’s pain,” Gandhi urged India’s leader, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his post. “Indians deserve Dignity and Humanity, NOT Handcuffs.”

Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar told parliament on Thursday that he had been told by U.S. officials that protocols had long permitted restraints for deportees, but that it was not done with the women and children on the plane to India this week.

“We are, of course, engaging with the U.S. government to ensure that returning deportees are not mistreated in any manner during the flight,” Jaishankar said.

The U.S. deported more than 1,000 Indian migrants last year, but on commercial flights and without any reports of alleged mistreatment. It is standard practice for U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement to restrain adult deportees on flights out of the country, which the agency argues is to protect inflight security and the migrants themselves, by preventing riots and other safety issues.

At the request of certain countries, ICE agents will remove the restraints after deportees arrive in their home countries, and before they deplane. 

The Indian foreign minister also highlighted the need for a “strong crackdown” on the human trafficking industry that fuels illegal immigration, and he promised action against people involved in the illicit trade.

Earlier this week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the deportation flights were an effective way to stem the flow of undocumented migrants arriving on American soil. The State Department said such deportations send a message of deterrence to people who might be considering coming to the U.S. without permission.

The deportation flight came just days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi is due to visit to Washington, where he’s expected to discuss the issue with President Trump next week.

contributed to this report.