US deports 205 Indians on a military aircraft in line with Trump's crackdown on illegal immigrants

Several reports claimed the deportation took place after India verified its nationals who had illegally entered into the country.

The military aircraft carrying over 200 Indians took off from Texas.

Several such flights are likely to arrive in India in the coming days as the US is acting tough on the illegal immigrants ever since Trump returned as the president.

After a phone call with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi last month, Trump, who is locked in trade wars with several nations, had said New Delhi would take necessary steps in repatriating its nationals illegally staying in Washington.

Trump had said India will do "what is right" when it comes to taking back illegal immigrants.

The Republican, who returned to power with a massive mandate in November 5 last year elections, launched a major crackdown on illegal immigration and said he will take steps to secure the US borders.

He said in his inaugural address as the president, "All illegal entry will immediately be halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came."

Earlier, India's external affairs minister S Jaishankar, who had attended Trump's oath-taking ceremony, cleared his country is open to the legitimate return of its nationals who are illegally living in America.

Addressing a press conference in Washington, Jaishankar had said, "We have always taken the view that if there are any of our citizens, who are not here legally, if we are sure that they are our citizens, we have always been open to their legitimate return to India. So it's not a position unique to the US."

"I understand right now that there is a certain debate going on and a resulting sensitivity which is there. But we have been consistent, we have been very principled about it, and that remains our position, and I conveyed that very clearly to US State Secretary Marco Rubio."

In an official statement, the White House said Trump held a "productive call" with Modi and the two leaders discussed "expanding and deepening cooperation".