The number of Indians arrested while entering the United States without proper documentation has dropped to its lowest since at least 2022, showed data from the US Customs and Border Protection agency.

While 6,817 undocumented immigrants were apprehended at the United States borders in October, the number decreased to 1,628 in February.

The number of persons arrested was 6,154 in November, 5,622 in December and 3,132 in January.

The arrests in February are the lowest in any month since 2022, since when the data is available.

Overall, the number of arrests on the US borders has dropped to 28,654 in February from 81,528 in January. The overall February figures were also the lowest since 2022.

The sharp fall comes amid a wider crackdown on undocumented immigration by the Donald Trump administration. Soon after his inauguration in January, Trump signed 10 executive orders on border security and to carry out mass deportations.

The US has deported 636 Indians since January, when the Trump administration assumed office.

On Friday, the Union government told Parliament that 341 of the total deportees were sent to India on chartered flights, while 240 arrived on commercial flights and 55 on separate commercial flights through Panama.

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities have shared with India details relating to another 295 persons who are “detained in their custody with final orders of removal” from the United States.

A 2022 US Department of Homeland Security report estimated that 220,000 undocumented Indian migrants were living in the country. More than 1,100 Indians were deported in the 12 months leading up to October 2024.

Reports in January said that India was working with the Trump administration to deport around 18,000 undocumented or visa-overstaying Indian citizens from the US.

On January 24, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said that it was committed to taking back Indian nationals residing abroad without proper documentation.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in Parliament on February 6 that it is the obligation of all countries to take back their citizens, if they are found to be living illegally abroad.

“This is naturally subject to an unambiguous verification of their nationality,” he had said. “This is not a policy applicable to any specific country, nor indeed one only practised by India. It is a general accepted principle in international relations.”