Exclusive: 22 Nepali Nationals Deported from the U.S. within 3 Weeks of the Trump Administration

In the three weeks following U.S. President Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025, 22 Nepali nationals were deported from the United States, as confirmed by Nepal’s Immigration Department, which shared the information with NepYork. According to Immigration Department officials, the number of Nepali deportations from the U.S. has increased compared to previous periods since January 22, 2025.

From January 22 to 30, eight Nepali nationals were deported to Nepal, and from February 1 to 9, the number rose to 14, totaling 22, according to Nepal’s Immigration Office at Tribhuvan International Airport. The office explained that ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) provides a letter to Nepal’s Immigration Department for each deported individual, which is used to maintain records.

After Trump’s inauguration, the Nepali nationals deported from the U.S. had either already completed their deportation process before January 20, with travel documents in hand, or held valid passports. The Nepali Embassy in Washington, D.C. confirmed that no requests for travel documents from ICE have been made for Nepali nationals after January 20.

In cases where a Nepali individual facing deportation does not possess a passport, or if the passport has expired, ICE requests a travel document from the Nepali Embassy. The embassy facilitates this request by issuing the necessary travel documents, for which ICE covers the associated fees.

For those with valid passports, ICE proceeds with deportation without notifying the embassy, but they do provide the Nepali Immigration Department with details through the letter that accompanies the deported individual.

Regarding the number of deported Nepali nationals since January 20, NepYork has requested further details from ICE, but no additional information has been received as of this report. However, ICE has previously disclosed that during the four years of the Biden administration, 130 Nepali nationals were deported. These figures include 23 deportations in fiscal year 2021, 28 in 2022, 22 in 2023, and 57 in 2024.

During Trump’s previous four-year term, 350 Nepali nationals were deported through ICE. In fiscal year 2019, the monthly average of deported Nepalis was the highest, at 14 per month. If the current rate continues, the monthly average could double compared to 2019, with a potential total of 350 Nepali deportations annually under the Trump administration. However, it remains uncertain whether this rate will hold in the coming months.