The United States is preparing to deport 121 Nepali nationals at once, in what could become the largest-ever mass deportation of Nepalis from the U.S. if the number remains unchanged by the date of deportation. According to exclusive information obtained by NepYork, the deportation flight is scheduled to arrive in Nepal on February 21.
The deportees—most of whom had been residing in the U.S. without legal documentation—are being removed under tightened U.S. immigration enforcement measures. Details such as the flight’s departure time and aircraft type have not been disclosed, but the U.S. typically uses chartered flights for such large-scale deportations.
If the number does not decrease at the last moment, the upcoming flight will mark the largest single-group deportation of Nepalis from the United States to date.
During the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term, 583 Nepalis were deported overall; however, the largest group on a single charter flight at that time was 80 individuals, repatriated to Kathmandu on January 20, 2026. That group included one woman and 79 men. In December 2025, another 75 Nepalis—69 men and six women—were similarly deported in a single day.
Since December 2025, the U.S. has conducted at least one chartered deportation flight each month.
Most of those being deported reportedly entered the United States via the Mexico border without visas and paid human smugglers between USD 60,000 and USD 75,000 to facilitate their journey. Upon arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, the deportees are handed over by immigration officials to Nepal’s Bureau of Human Trafficking and Investigation for brief questioning before being released into family custody. An investigation proceeds only if a formal complaint is filed.
To date, 24 complaints have been registered in connection with human smuggling networks involved in such cases. However, this number remains small compared to the total deportations, suggesting that most returnees have refrained from filing formal grievances.
Government data show that the latest flight comes amid a dramatic rise in deportations of Nepali nationals from the U.S. In 2025 alone, a record 485 Nepalis were deported—the highest annual total to date. This figure is more than four times the total recorded during the entire Biden administration and exceeds the number deported during Donald Trump’s previous presidency.
During President Biden’s four-year term, 110 Nepalis were deported, compared with nearly 350 during Trump’s first term. By contrast, the 2025 figure alone surpasses both totals combined.
Deportation records indicate a sharp year-by-year increase: 23 in fiscal year (FY) 2021, 28 in FY 2022, 22 in FY 2023, and nearly 50 in FY 2024. President Biden, who assumed office in 2021, oversaw one deportation charter flight that year carrying seven Nepalis. The previous surge occurred at the end of Trump’s first term, when 162 individuals were deported in FY 2019 and 97 in FY 2020.
The Nepali government has continued to cooperate with U.S. authorities by accepting its citizens. The Nepali Embassy in Washington, D.C., has played a central role in this process by issuing travel documents at the request of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for individuals lacking valid passports.
According to embassy spokesperson Aruna Ghising, 407 travel documents were issued in 2025, including 394 for Nepalis deported by ICE. The embassy also assisted 14 Nepalis stranded in Panama, Mexico, and Costa Rica along migration routes, providing free travel documents for their return to Nepal.
(Editorial Note: The data presented in this report is preliminary. Figures may vary slightly due to differences among datasets maintained by Nepal’s Department of Immigration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Nepal’s Anti-Human Trafficking Bureau.)
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.
