U.S. Deports 48 Nepalis on Single Chartered Flight, Including Two Green Card Holders

The United States deported 48 Nepali citizens, including two green card holders, on April 7, and sent them to Tribhuvan International Airport on a chartered flight, according to immigration officials and embassy sources. All 48 deportees were men.

Sources at the Immigration Department said that 23 of those removed did not have valid travel documents. One of the green card holders had been arrested in a driving under the influence (DUI) case, while officials did not immediately disclose the reason for deporting the second green card holder.

The total number of Nepalis deported from the United States reached 231 in the first two months of 2026, according to the Department of Immigration. Data for March has yet to be received.

In February alone, the United States deported 130 Nepalis, including 124 men and six women, the department said. Of those, 95 were returned on chartered flights, including three women. In January, 101 Nepalis were deported—97 men and four women. That month, 80 Nepalis—79 men and one woman—arrived in Kathmandu on a single chartered flight.

Since President Donald Trump’s second inauguration, the total number of Nepalis deported from the U.S. has surpassed 800. Deportations have surged in recent months, often via chartered flights carrying large groups.

In December 2025, more than 95 Nepalis were deported, 75 of whom arrived in a single day (69 men and six women). In November 2025, 80 deportees were recorded.

Monthly figures for 2025 show six deportations in January, 18 in February, 32 in March, 26 in April, 58 in May, 42 in June, 17 in July, 16 in August, 53 in September, and 38 in October.

Sharad Raj Aran, chargé d’affaires at the Embassy of Nepal in Washington, D.C., said the deportation process has accelerated. He explained that deportations can proceed even when a deportee does not have a valid physical travel document because authorities can use electronic verification.

“Many times, it may appear there is no travel document, but that is not actually the case,” Aran said. “A previously issued document may have expired. In such cases, travel can still be arranged through electronic verification.”

Aran said the embassy verifies deportees’ identities and coordinates with relevant ministries and immigration authorities before they are sent back to Nepal. “The embassy certifies their details, and then those records are further verified with the ministry and immigration authorities,” he said. “Once the process is complete, they are sent to Nepal on that basis.”

He added that deportations have increased because asylum applications are being rejected, visas are being revoked, people are working illegally, and other immigration laws are being violated. He noted that immigration courts are also moving long-pending cases through a fast-track process.

Aran said illegal entry through South America and Mexico has fallen sharply, reducing exposure to human smuggling and financial fraud. He also warned that green card holders and even U.S. citizens can face deportation if they violate the law, including in cases involving fake marriages or false statements.