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Indian student pinned to ground handcuffed and deported from US
Kunal Jain urged the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C., and India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to intervene.
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Malvika Choudhary - Mon, 09, Jun 2025
- 11:46 EDT
- 140
Indian student handcuffed and pinned to ground / X (Kunal Jain)
An Indian student was pinned to the ground, handcuffed, and deported from Newark Liberty International Airport in the United States. The incident has raised concerns about the treatment of international students by U.S. immigration authorities.
Indian American social entrepreneur, Kunal Jain, who posted videos and photographs of the incident on X (formerly Twitter), claimed he witnessed the student being restrained by U.S. officials at the airport. The student, Jain said, was speaking in Haryanvi and appeared visibly distressed, repeatedly saying, “I’m not crazy, they are trying to make me look crazy.”
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“I witnessed a young Indian student being deported from Newark Airport last night—handcuffed, crying, treated like a criminal. He came chasing dreams, not causing harm. As an NRI, I felt helpless and heartbroken. This is a human tragedy,” Jain wrote in his post.
He further claimed that such incidents are becoming increasingly frequent. “These children get their visas and get on a flight in the morning. For some reason, they are unable to explain the reason for their visit to the immigration authorities and are sent back on the evening flight, tied up like criminals. Every day, 3–4 such cases are happening. There have been more such cases in the last few days.”
I witnessed a young Indian student being deported from Newark Airport last night— handcuffed, crying, treated like a criminal. He came chasing dreams, not causing harm. As an NRI, I felt helpless and heartbroken. This is a human tragedy. @IndianEmbassyUS #immigrationraids pic.twitter.com/0cINhd0xU1
— Kunal Jain (@SONOFINDIA) June 8, 2025
Jain urged the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C., and India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to intervene. He stated that the student appeared disoriented and did not board the flight as expected. “This poor kid’s parents likely don’t even know what’s happening to him,” he added.
Following the circulation of the videos, the Consulate General of India in New York responded via a post on X, stating, “We have come across social media posts claiming that an Indian national is facing difficulties at Newark Liberty International Airport. We are in touch with local authorities in this regard. The Consulate remains ever committed for the welfare of Indian nationals.”
We have come across social media posts claiming that an Indian national is facing difficulties at Newark Liberty International Airport. We are in touch with local authorities in this regard.
— India in New York (@IndiainNewYork) June 9, 2025
The Consulate remains ever committed for the welfare of Indian Nationals.@MEAIndia…
This alleged incident comes amid growing scrutiny of international students in the United States. In recent months, U.S. immigration enforcement has intensified, with an increasing number of student visas being revoked without prior notice. Reasons have ranged from minor legal violations to participation in political demonstrations, leaving students vulnerable and often without timely legal support.
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Entry/Exit Overstay Report, the overstay rate for F-category (student) visa holders rose to 3.5 percent in fiscal year 2023. While India remains one of the top countries sending students to the U.S., it also ranks high in visa overstay cases, with over 7,000 Indian students reportedly exceeding their authorized stay.
In fiscal year 2024, more than 1,500 Indian nationals were deported from the United States, according to estimates from various immigration-focused reports. Although individual cases vary, the deportation of students under visibly distressing conditions has led to growing demands for consular accountability and greater transparency in U.S. border enforcement procedures.
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