50 Haryana men deported from US after ‘dunki’ nightmare

They left with hopes of freedom and fortune — and returned with debts, despair, and handcuffs. Fifty men from Haryana landed in Delhi early October 26, deported from the United States after a perilous journey through the notorious “dunki” route — an underground network of human smuggling trails stretching across South and Central America.

Officials said 16 of the deported hail from Karnal, 14 from Kaithal, five from Kurukshetra, and one from Panipat. Most are between 25 and 40, men who sold land or mortgaged homes to chase what they thought was the American dream.

Many were arrested shortly after entering the US; others spent months — even years — behind bars before being sent home. “Our agents cheated us,” said Ankur Singh, 26, from Rahra village in Karnal, who spent ₹29 lakh to reach the US in 2022. “I was arrested in Georgia while working at a liquor shop. After months in detention, we were handcuffed and flown back on October 24.”

Ankur’s story echoes through dozens of Haryana’s towns. From Popra village, 21-year-old Husan had barely finished Class 12 when his family sold three acres of land and paid ₹45 lakh to an agent. “He was arrested the moment he crossed into the US,” said his uncle Surender Singh. “When they arrived in Delhi, they were chained at the hands and legs.”

For many families, the cost was not just money — it was dignity. Naresh Kumar from Kaithal spent over a year in a US detention centre. “We were handcuffed but not mistreated,” he said. “The agents kept demanding more money — in total, I paid ₹57.5 lakh.”

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, nearly 2,500 Indians have been deported or repatriated from the US since January 2025 — a record figure — with the largest numbers from Punjab, Haryana, and Gujarat. The first mass deportation flight, a US Air Force C-17 carrying 104 Indians, landed in Amritsar in February.

Haryana police have confirmed that all those deported October 26 took the illegal “donkey” route. Kaithal SP Upasana said one of the deportees was already wanted in a local excise case. “Travelling through the dunki route is a serious crime. It destroys families and endangers lives,” she said.

Jind SP Kuldeep Singh added, “We’re monitoring every case. Anyone luring youth into illegal migration will face strict action.”

But for the families who lost everything chasing a mirage, the warning comes too late. The dream that once beckoned from across the border now lies broken — replaced by a growing fear that the next deportation flight may bring more shattered hopes home.