(Image source from: Deccan Chronicle)

More or less 2,400 Indians are suffering in Various American jails for illegally crossing the United States border in the country, according to the latest figures.

The significant number of detainees, who are from Punjab are seeking asylum claiming that they have undergone violence or ill-treatment in India.

According to the information obtained by the North American Punjabi Association (NAPA) through Freedom of Information Act, as many as 2,382 Indians are lodged in 86 jails in the U.S.

According to figures as of October 10, a total of 377 Indian nationals are detained at California's Adelanto Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Processing Center, 245 at the Federal Correctional Institution Victorville, 269 at Imperial Regional Adult Detention Facility, and 115 at Washington State's Tacoma ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) Processing Center.

"Most of the detainees at the federal facilities are asking for asylum claiming that they 'experienced violence or persecution' in their home country," NAPA president Satnam S Chahal told PTI. "This is a matter of serious concern that thousands of Indians, with an overwhelming majority of them being from Punjab, are languishing in jails in the U.S.," he said.

Chahal who has been on the job in the field for past several years alleged that there is a link of human traffickers and officials in Punjab, who boost young Punjabis to leave their homes to illicitly enter the U.S. and charge Rs 35-50 lakhs from each individual.

He further said human trafficking is a criminal act which affects the global community and consequently Punjabis are too victims of this episode.

"The Punjabi enthusiasm to migrate to affluent countries in search of greener pastures has given the traffickers to exploit them," Chahal said. "Failure to reach their promised destination leads to deportation, exploitation, indebtedness, imprisonment and even death," he rued.

The NAPA impelled the Punjab government to strictly enforce human trafficking laws that have been passed by the State Assembly in late years.

The Trump administration has presented a number of controversial policies in line with its hardline stance on immigration. Earlier this week, the administration decided to restrict the entry of illegal migrants who cross the southern border with Mexico to seek asylum in the U.S.

-Sowmya Sangam