'Dunki' route continues to thrive despite US crackdown on illegal immigration: Report

The United States government has been cracking down on illegal migrants in the country since Donald Trump assumed charge as President after defeating the Democratic Party's Kamala Harris in the November 2024 elections.

Trump has been sending back illegal immigrants to the countries where they came from in military planes, and one such plane is scheduled to land in Amritsar today.

It reportedly contains more than 200 Indians who were staying in the US without proper documentation.

Despite Trump's latest move, the eagerness to resettle in the US has not dimmed among a certain section of Indians, who believe America is the land of milk and honey and will offer them prosperity they could not achieve at home.

An Indian Express report claims that youngsters in Punjab and Haryana are still flocking to travel agencies in large numbers in the hope of making it to the USA by hook or crook.

Brought into public parlance thanks to the Shah Rukh Khan starrer, the 'Dunki' route, despite growing risks, is apparently still popular among a certain section of migration-hopefuls who do not mind travelling to the US on the wrong side of the law.

This route takes a person through African and South American countries, from where they reach Mexico and then are smuggled into the US illegally.

“The demand for US visas, even through unofficial routes, is as high as ever. Many young people from Punjab and Haryana are willing to take the risk, driven by the promise of better opportunities and the American dream,” a Jalandhar-based travel agent told the publication.

“Foreign employment and education remain attractive alternatives to local hardships. Despite facing deportations and legal risks, many are still willing to take their chances,” another agent said.

Another route for illegal entry into the US is through the Bahamas. An agent told the publication that it takes 27 hours and many layovers to reach the Bahamas from Delhi. Then there are two sea routes—one via Miami and the other one via the Port of Houston. This latter route is shorter, but the risk is far greater—here the migrants are cramped into small and overcrowded boats, which are used to smuggle them onto Uncle Sam's shores.

Many boys drown during this journey,” an agent told IE.

A new trend to enter the US illegally has been emerging for the past 5-6 years. Here one enters through the US-Canada border. “Aspirants typically reach Canada on visitor or student visas and then cross into the US, where they apply for asylum,” one agent told the publication.

Between October 2020 and August 2024, around 86,400 Indians were stopped at the US-Mexico border while 88,800 were stopped at the northern border with Canads, as per US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).