As preparations are underway for US President-elect Donald Trump, reports reveal that 5,340 out of 41,330 Gujaratis who entered the US illegally have been granted asylum status under the ‘Asylum Act’ by the American government and others will be deported.

In 2023, a total of 67,391 Indian citizens illegally crossed the US border, whose applications are still pending, with decisions expected to be announced in a few months.

In 2021, a total of 4,330 Indian citizens who had entered the United States illegally applied for asylum. Among them, 1,330 applications were approved, granting permission to reside in the United States.

By 2022, this number had tripled, with 14,570 illegal Indian immigrants applying for asylum, out of which 4,260 were approved. Three years earlier, the number of applicants was only 4,330, which grew eightfold to reach 41,330 in just three years. 

While the U.S. government had approved asylum for 25% of applicants three years ago, this figure dropped to just 13% recently. This indicates a gradual increase in the number of illegal immigrants seeking asylum in the United States.

Three years ago, the number was three times less than in 2022, and it is estimated to increase tenfold by 2025. Until the last hearing, the U.S. government had granted residency under asylum laws to a total of 54,350 undocumented individuals, of which 5,430 were from Gujarat.

Notably, every year, thousands of Gujaratis, with the dream to settle abroad, cross the US-Canada and US-Mexico borders illegally.

Many are caught during these attempts, and some even lose their lives. Cases such as that of Jagdish Patel's family from Dingucha village who froze to death in attempt to cross the deadly border, is one such example. In a bid to curb the problem, the governments of the US and Canada have taken a strict stance against border-crossing attempts by Indians.

With Trump administration taking over the country, the immigration rules are set to be tightened. 

The highly vocal Trump’s administration about illegal immigrants is planning a raid in Chicago on Tuesday as part of its measures to crack down on immigration it considers as “illegal”, reported the Wall Street Journal.