Indian Border Encounters Fall Sharply in FY26

US Customs and Border Protection recorded 30,528 encounters with Indian nationals in FY26, down from 90,415 in FY24.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Immigration

Indian Border Encounters Fall Sharply in FY26

Live Poll

Do you support tougher immigration enforcement to reduce illegal border crossings?

Indian nationals ranked third among 21 countries encountered by US border authorities in FY26, with 30,528 encounters. That figure is a nearly 66% decline from FY24, when encounters totaled 90,415.

Why it matters

The drop coincides with tougher immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump, which sets it apart from earlier years. Smuggling networks reportedly charge Gujaratis between Rs 80 lakh and Rs 1.25 crore per person, and at least 11 Gujarat residents died attempting the route between 2022 and 2025.

Encounter figures come from US Customs and Border Protection records for FY26, compared with 34,146 in FY25 and 90,415 in FY24. Total US border encounters fell from 691,906 in FY25 to 382,490 in FY26, while Mexico (123,039) and Canada (37,700) remained major crossing points.

The players

US Customs and Border Protection

The federal agency that records and reports border encounter figures for the United States.

Donald Trump

The current President of the United States, whose administration has prioritized a crackdown on immigration.

The details

Indian nationals are attempting to reach the US illegally via a route popularly known as the donkey route, often through Mexico or Canada. A source in illegal immigration networks said Gujaratis pay between Rs 80 lakh and Rs 1.25 crore per individual, and that migrants are seeking better financial security in the US.

FY24: Indian nationals recorded 90,415 US border encounters.
January 20, 2025: Trump was inaugurated as the 47th US President, prioritizing an immigration crackdown.
FY26 (October 2025 to September 2026): Indian encounters totaled 30,528, third-highest among 21 countries.

Immigration Policy Context

The sharp decline in Indian encounters follows the immigration enforcement push that began when Donald Trump took office in January 2025. Earlier, total US border encounters reached 3.2 million in FY23, which places the FY26 total of 382,490 in a much lower range.

For families considering migration, the reported fees of Rs 80 lakh to Rs 1.25 crore and the documented deaths along the route underscore the financial and physical risks. Enforcement changes may also affect how long and how reliably such attempts succeed.

The takeaway

The steep drop in encounters shows how quickly border figures can shift when enforcement changes. Readers tracking immigration trends should watch whether the decline holds in future reporting periods.