U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is set to deport eight Nepali nationals on Wednesday, March 5, using a removal flight, according to a reliable source who spoke to NepYork. Among those being deported, six possess valid Nepali passports, while the remaining two have been issued travel documents by the Nepal Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Some of those being deported entered the U.S. by paying up to $100,000 to human traffickers and traveled through Mexico. The source confirmed that none of those being deported on Wednesday entered the country on student visas.
ICE officers will escort the deported Nepalis back to Nepal using the same removal flight that will be used to deport citizens from neighboring countries. Two of the individuals do not have valid passports, which is why ICE recently contacted the Nepali Embassy in Washington, D.C., to request travel documents. The embassy confirmed that the documents were issued following ICE’s request.
In cases where a Nepali national lacks a passport or their passport has expired, ICE usually requests travel documents from the embassy, with a fee of $50, which ICE has been covering.
President Donald Trump has warned countries that refuse to accept their deported citizens and has imposed visa restrictions. However, Nepal has never encountered such issues.
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Nepal has consistently accepted its citizens being deported from the U.S. without issue. The Nepali Embassy in Washington, D.C., also facilitates the issuance of travel documents when requested by ICE.
ICE has not made such requests for travel documents to the Nepali Consulate in New York. For individuals in the consular jurisdiction of New York, ICE continues to request travel documents from the embassy in Washington, D.C.
ICE Air Operations facilitates the transfer and removal of noncitizens via commercial airlines and chartered flights in support of ICE field offices and other DHS initiatives.
Since the Trump administration began, ICE has deported a total of 27 Nepali nationals to Nepal as of March 2, according to Nepal’s Immigration Department. Additionally, ICE has deported three Nepalis to Panama.
Nepal, a small Himalayan country with a population of about 30 million, has seen a growing number of its citizens migrate to the U.S. in recent decades, often driven by economic hardship and political instability following the end of a decade-long civil war in 2006. Many Nepalis attempt to enter the U.S. illegally, relying on trafficking networks that exploit their desperation.
Kishor Panthi
View More PostsKishor Panthi is the founder and editor-in-chief of Khasokhas and NepYork. He is the author of three books, “Kampan,” "UNTRANSLATABLE" and “Zero Mile.” He writes about social issues, immigration, and politics.
